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Copyright N° 


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WHITEHEAD’S CONVENTIONS 
OF AUCTION BRIDGE 









Copyright, 1914, by 
Wilbur C. Whitehead 

All rights reserved including that of translation 
into foreign languages. 


June, 1914 



JUN 22 1914 


©CI.A 376386 






EDITOR’S NOTE 


Although my work in connection with the follow¬ 
ing pages has been chiefly confined to seeing them 
safely through the press, I esteem it a privilege to 
have my name appear on the title page of what I con¬ 
sider the most important work on the game of Auction 
Bridge that has so far appeared; thoroughly sound in 
theory, up-to-date in practice, and complete in detail. 

The enormous amount of labor which the author 
has devoted to sorting out and comparing everything 
that has been written upon the game, the careful study 
he has given to the methods of the most successful 
players, and the ingenuity he has displayed in arrang¬ 
ing this mass of matter in such form that any part 
of the subject can be immediately referred to, without 
having to read anything else, so that the work is prac¬ 
tically a dictionary of conventional plays, cannot fail 
to impress the reader quite as forcibly as it has the 
editor. 

R. F. Foster. 

The Savage Club, 

London, April, 1914. 



FOREWORD 


Many well known writers have devoted themselves 
to expounding not only the elementary principles of 
Auction Bridge, but the more subtle phases of bidding 
and play. Scattered throughout their text, but so en¬ 
tangled that only patient search serves to disclose 
them, are to be found the established Conventions of 
the game. The author has carefully collected these 
Conventions, arranged and classified them in order, so 
as to explain their meaning and application. 

The observance, or non-observance of the Conven¬ 
tions of Auction Bridge, will mark the success or fail¬ 
ure of a player, for they are the recognized universal 
Code System of Communication between partners, 
adopted and approved by the best players throughout 
the world. 

This Treatise on the Modern System of Bidding 
and Play follows the principles laid down by the lead¬ 
ing authorities. It sets forth the Conventions clearly 
and concisely. Gives an orderly presentation of the 
cards required to justify specific declarations and 
gives the accepted manner of handling situations con¬ 
stantly arising in the bidding. 

While the Conventions themselves deal only with 
combinations of cards which most frequently occur, 
the governing principle given in each case should 
enable players to value all combinations, even those to 
which the Conventions in use will not apply. 



CONTENTS 

Foreword . v 

Glossary .xvi 

PART I. CONVENTIONS OF BIDDING 

Major and Minor Suits .3 

Sound and Unsound Declarations.5 

DEALER (Z) OR ORIGINAL BIDDER 

Spade Calls: 

The Call of One Spade.7 

The Call of Two Spades.8 

The Call of Three Spades.8 

The Minor or Losing Suits: 

The Call of One Club or One Diamond ... 9 

The Call of Two Clubs or Two Diamonds . . 11 

The Call of Three Clubs or Three Diamonds . . 13 

The Major or Winning Suits: 

The Declaration of One Heart or One Royal . 13 

The Declaration of Two Hearts or Two Royals . 14 

The Declaration of Three Hearts or Three Royals 16 

No-Trump: 

The Declaration of One No-Trump .... 18 

The Declaration of Two No-Trump .... 19 

SECOND HAND (A) OR SECOND BIDDER 

Where Dealer Has Called One Spade: 

To Double.20 

To Overcall with Two Spades.20 

To Overcall with Three Spades.21 

To Overcall with a Suit or No-Trump .... 22 

ix 







X 


CONTENTS 


Where Dealer Has Called Two Spades: 

To Double.23 

Where Dealer Has Called Three Spades: 

To Double.23 

Where Dealer Has Declared One in a Suit 
(or Two or Three Spades:) 

To Double.24 

To Overcall with a Suit.25 

To Overcall with No-Trump.29 

Where Dealer. Has Declared Two or More in 
a Suit: 

To Double.31 

To Overcall with a Suit or No-Trump ... 32 

Where Dealer Has Declared One No-Trump: 

To Double.32 

To Overcall with a Suit.33 

To Overcall with Two No-Trump.39 

Where Dealer Has Declared Two 
or More No-Trump: 

To Double.40 

To Overcall.40 

THIRD HAND (Y) OR THIRD BIDDER 

Where Dealer Has Called One Spade: 

Second Hand Passing: 

To Take Partner out.42 

Second Hand Doubling: 

To Pass, Redouble or Take Partner out ... 43 

Second Hand Bidding: 

To Pass or Overcall.44 

Where Dealer Has Called Two or Three Spades: 
Second Hand Passing: 

To Take Partner out.48 












CONTENTS 


xi 


Second Hand Doubling: 

To Take Partner out.49 

Second Hand Overbidding with a Suit: 

To Pass or Overcall.50 

Second Hand Overbidding with No-Trump: 

To Pass or Overcall.51 

Where Dealer Has- Called One in a Minor Suit: 
Second Hand Passing : 

To Raise Partner’s Declaration.52 

To Take Partner out with the other Minor Suit . 53 

To Take Partner out with Hearts, Royals or No- 


Trump .54 

Second Hand Doubling: 

To pass, Redouble or Take Partner out ... 55 

Second Hand Overbidding with a Suit: 

To Double.56 

To Support Partner or Shift to another Declara¬ 
tion .57 

Second Hand Overbidding with No-Trump: 

To Support Partner or Shift to another Declara¬ 
tion .59 


Where Dealer Has Called Two (or More) in a 
Minor Suit: 

Second Hand Passing: 

To Raise Partner’s Declaration.61 

To take Partner out with the other Minor Suit . 61 

To take Partner out with Hearts, Royals or No- 


Trump . 62 

Second Hand Doubling: 

To Pass, Redouble or take Partner out ... 62 

Second Hand Overbidding with a Suit: 

To Double.63 

To Support Partner or Shift to another Declara¬ 
tion .. 63 











Xll 


CONTENTS 


Second Hand Overbidding with No-Trump: 

To Support Partner or Shift to another Declara¬ 
tion .64 

Where Dealer Has Declared One in a Major Suit: 
Second PIand Passing: 

To Raise Partner’s Declaration.65 

To Take Partner out with Clubs or Diamonds . 66 

To take Partner out with the other Major Suit . 67 

To take Partner out with No-Trump .... 68 

Second Hand Doubling : 

To Pass, Redouble or take Partner out ... 68 

Second Hand Overbidding with a Suit: 

To Double.70 

To Support Partner or Shift to another Declara¬ 
tion .70 

Second Hand Overbidding with No-Trump: 

To Support Partner or Shift to another Declara¬ 
tion .73 

Where Dealer Has Called Two (or More) in a 
Major Suit 

Second Hand Passing: 

To raise Partner’s Declaration.74 

To take Partner out with Clubs or Diamonds . 74 

To take Partner out with the other Major Suit . 75 

To take Partner out with No-Trump .... 75 

Second Hand Doubling : 

To Pass, Redouble or take Partner out ... 76 

Second Hand Overbidding .with a Suit : 

To Double.76 

To Support Partner or Shift to another Declara¬ 
tion ..76 

Second Hand Overbidding with No-Trump: 

To Support Partner or Shift to another Declara¬ 
tion .78 









CONTENTS x iii 

Where Dealer Has Declared One No-Trump: 

Second Hand Passing : 

To raise Partner’s Declaration.79 

To take Partner out with Clubs or Diamonds . 79 

To take Partner out with Hearts or Royals . . So 

Second Hand Doubling: 

To Pass or Shift to another Declaration ... Si 

Second Hand Overbidding with a Suit: 

To Double.82 

To Support Partner or Shift to another Declara¬ 
tion .83 

Second Hand Overbidding with Two No-Trump: 

To Support Partner or Shift to another Declara¬ 
tion .87 

FOURTH HAND (B) OR FOURTH BIDDER 
Where Dealer Has Called One Spade: 

Second Hand Passing: 

Third Hand Passing: 

To Pass or make a Declaration.88 

Third Hand Bidding: 

To Double or Overcall.89 

Second Hand Doubling of Overcalling with 
Two or Three Spades: 

Third Hand Passing: 

To take Partner out.93 

Third Hand Bidding: 

To Pass or Overcall . ..95 

Second Hand Bidding: 

Third Hand Passing: 

To Raise or Take Partner out.96 

Third Hand Doubling: 

To Pass, Redouble or Take Partner out . . 100 








XIV 


CONTENTS 


Third Hand Overbidding: 

To Double, Support Partner or Shift to another 
Declaration.ioi 

Where Dealer Has Called One or More in a Suit: 

Second Hand Passing: 

Third Hand Passing: 

To Pass or Overcall.106 

Third Hand Bidding: 

To Pass or Overcall.108 

Second Hand Doubling: 

Third Hand Passing, Redoubling or Over¬ 
bidding : 

To Pass or Overcall.109 

Second Hand Overcalling : 

Third Hand Passing: 

To Raise Partner’s Declaration or to take Part¬ 
ner out.109 

Third Hand Doubling: 

To Pass, Redouble or take Partner out . . .110 

Third Hand Overbidding: 

To Double, Support Partner, or Shift to an¬ 
other Declaration.m 

Where Dealer Has Declared No-Trump: 

Second Hand Passing: 

Third Hand Passing: 

To Double ... 

To Pass or Overcall.112 

Third Hand Bidding a Minor Suit: 

To Pass or Overcall.114 

Third Hand Bidding a Major Suit: 

To Pass or Overcall.115 











CONTENTS 


xv 


Second Hand Doubling: 


Third Hand Passing: 

To take Partner out.116 

Third Hand Bidding: 

To Pass or Overcall.116 


Second Hand Bidding: 

Third Hand Doubling or Overcalling: 

To Pass, Redouble or Overcall .117 

SECOND ROUND BIDS, AND GENERAL 
CONVENTIONS 

A Suit bid on the Second Round which was not 
Declared on the First.118 

A Suit rebid by Original Declarer, though not 
Supported by Partner.118 

A Minor Suit bid on the Second Round, its de¬ 
clarer having Bid a Major Suit on the First 119 

A Major Suit bid on the Second Round, its De¬ 
clarer having Bid a Minor Suit on the First 119 

To Support Partner’s Declaration on the Second 


Round, and not on the First.119 

Free Bids; Their Meaning.120 

Forced Bids; Their Meaning.121 

Bidding the Same Hand Twice.122 

Persisting in a Minor Suit.123 

Persisting in a Major Suit.123 


Silence of Partner Deserves Serious Attention 125 
SPECIAL ARTICLES 


Doubling : 

General Remarks.126 

When to Double.127 

When not to Double.128 














XVI 


CONTENTS 


Avoiding an Immediate Declaration by calling 
One Spade.129 

Informatory Bids.131 

Choice of Declaration between Two Suits of 

Equal Strength (or nearly so) . . . .137 

Importance of Aces and Kings.140 

Original Bids of Two.145 

Varieties of No-Trumps.149 

Defensive and Offensive Tactics, Their Equal 
Importance.152 

The High Spade Calls.154 

THE NULLO 

The Bidding.159 

The Play.162 


PART II. CONVENTIONS OF PLAY 

ADVERSARIES PLAY 


The Common Conventions.167 

The Leads. 

The Selection of a Suit to Lead.170 

The Card to Lead.173 

Third Hand Play.181 

DECLARER’S PLAY 

With a Trump.185 

With a No-Trump.189 

Re-entries.191 

The Finesse .icn 


ECHOES AND DISCARDS 


The Down-and-out Echo 


• 195 


















CONTENTS xvii 

The Plain-suit Echo.195 

The Reverse Discard.196 

The Eleven Rule.197 

Mechanical Adherence to the Conventions of 
Play.198 

PART III. THE LAWS OF AUCTION BRIDGE 

The Laws. 209 













GLOSSARY 


The arrangement adopted is designed to simplify the 
presentation of this intricate matter, making each sec¬ 
tion of the subject complete within itself. The prin¬ 
cipal divisions are: 


i. THE SUBJECT 


(a) The Declarations, 
bids, calls, etc., or¬ 
iginal or otherwise; 

(b) Situations which 
arise in bidding de¬ 
manding a certain 
course of action. 


2. THE CONVENTION. 


(a) Gives (in red) the 
holding required. 

(b) Gives (in red) the 
accepted practice. 


3. EXPLANATORY NOTES 


4. NEGATIVE NOTES 

[Special Articles dealing more fully with the sub¬ 
ject under discussion have also been provided, 
and references thereto interpolated in the 
text.] 


xix 




XX 


GLOSSARY 


Position of Players at Table 

Indicated by Letters. 

The dealer (called the opening, initial, or original 
bidder) is, also, for the sake of brevity, known as Z, 
the Second Hand is A, Third Hand Y and Fourth 
Hand B. 

Z and Y are always partners and are opposed by A 
and B, the four players being seated at the table thus: 


Third Hand 


Second Hand 


Y 

A B 

Z 


Fourth Hand 


Dealer 


While Z is always the original bidder, should he 
pass by bidding One Spade, the Conventions which 
would have applied to Dealer’s position zvill then apply 
to A or to the player who first makes an offensive 
declaration. 


The Terms of “ Strength ” and 
“ Length ” as Applied to Suits. 

“Strength” in a suit, whether the suit be long or 
short, refers to sure trick-winning cards, such as the 
ace or king-queen combinations, which must win a 
trick on the first or second round of the suit, no mat¬ 
ter who leads it. Such holdings as K J io may never 
win a trick if the A Q lie over them. 



GLOSSARY 


xxi 


“ Length ” is used to indicate suits of five or more 
cards, irrespective of the winning cards (the ace or 
king), which are sometimes referred to as “tops.” 

“ Stoppers.” 

A sharp distinction should be made between win¬ 
ning cards and “ stoppers.” Winning cards are those 
which can always control the lead. Stoppers are those 
which prevent the opponents from running down a 
whole suit against you. The K J io will stop a suit, 
so will the Q J io, but neither of these will control 
the lead or be sure of a trick, unless the opponents 
play that suit out for you. 

“ Two-Suiters.” 

In a trump make , a two-suiter is a hand wherein all 
the cards (or nearly all) are of two suits. 

In a no-trump, a two-suiter is a hand containing one 
long established Club or Diamond suit accompanied 
by an outside ace as card of entry. 

The no-trump two-suiter is actually a one-suiter. 
Real two-suiters, where the hand contains two strong 
suits (especially if one is a winning suit) are more 
advantageously played with one of the suits as trump. 






































































































































































































































































































PART I 

CONVENTIONS OF BIDDING 




CONVENTIONS 
OF BIDDING 

MAJOR AND MINOR SUITS. 

The Conventions dealing with Hearts and Royals, 
hereinafter referred to as the Major or Winning Suits, 
differ in marked degree from those which govern 
Clubs and Diamonds, hereinafter referred to as Minor 
or Losing Suits. 

Hearts, Royals and No-Trump, the 

“ Game-Going ” Declarations. 

The surprising frequency with which four-odd tricks 
are made with hands of only moderate force, either 
through fortuitous placement of cards or the errors 
of adversaries, is one of the remarkable features of 
Royal Spade Auction. This, taken in conjunction 
with the fact that hands strong enough to take Nine 
tricks in no-trump, are usually able to take Ten in a 
trump make, places the major suits on an equal foot¬ 
ing with no-trump as “ game-going ” declarations. 

Clubs and Diamonds, the 

Supporting Declarations. 

However, neither good play nor good luck seems 
able to carry the average strong hand beyond four- 
3 


CONVENTIONS OF BIDDING 


4 

Major and 
Minor Suits. 

odd. Four-odd is the dead line — the barrier reef 
upon which the good ship “ Game ” in minor suits 
comes to grief. 

Major and minor suits have precisely the same 
trick-taking value (four-odd is as feasible for one as 
for the other), game value alone is responsible for this 
classification — major suits, with fair wind, sail into 
safe harbor, while minor suits lie high and dry upon 
the reef “ four-odd.” 

It thus becomes obvious that the Conventions must 
refuse to recognize Clubs and Diamonds except as 
supporting strength for “ Game-Going ” declarations. 

Minor or Losing Suits should be 

Shown, Not bid as Makes. 

Halfway measures have no place in the tactics of 
Modern Auction — most games are won from a love 
score. There are but two goals: WINNING GAME 
(or its alternative — winning substantial penalties) 
and SAVING GAME. Declarations of whatever na¬ 
ture, more especially those of Clubs and Diamonds 
made with no higher purpose in view than marking 
a few points on the score, argue small'appreciation for 
the higher principles of bidding. It is of the utmost 
importance, that an original Club or Diamond should 
accurately indicate to partner its availability as sup¬ 
port for a Heart, Royal or no-trump. 

The state of the score, or undoubted ability to have 
made contract if left alone, is no excuse for a mis- 


CONVENTIONS OF BIDDING 


5 


Major and 
Minor Suits. 

leading original declaration. All such bids, in order 
to retain the confidence of the partner, must conform 
strictly to the Conventions. 

SOUND AND UNSOUND 
DECLARATIONS. 

Sound Declarations. 

Sound opening declarations should show two sure 
tricks, not stoppers only, in the suit called, such as 
AKxxx;orAQJxxorKQJxx. If the 
declaration is in a major suit, there should be at least 
one outside trick, an ace or a well guarded king. One 
may call a minor suit with nothing but two tricks, such 
as A Q J x x or A K io x x. 

Unsound Declarations. 

Vulnerable combinations, such as K J x x x, or 
A io x x x or even A Q x x x without supporting out¬ 
side tricks, are not sound opening bids in any suit; 
while A 9 x x x, orKioxxx suits, should never be 
considered as opening declarations. 

The Minor Suits. 

Players well grounded in the modern system of bid¬ 
ding never assume a one-trick bid in a minor suit to 
indicate anything further than the two tricks in the 
suit named. If there is but one trick in the suit itself, 
there should be at least two probable tricks in some 
supporting but shorter suit which cannot be safely de- 


CONVENTIONS OF BIDDING 


6 

Sound and 
Unsound Declarations. 

dared, such as ♦ A io x x x, V A K x, A x x x, 
♦ x x, or A J x x x, ♦ Iv J io, A x x, V x x x. 
For this reason good players are averse to pushing a 
partner’s call in a minor suit very far. 

The Major Suits. 

But players follow up a major suit (Hearts or 
Royals) because they infer it has some outside sup¬ 
port. For this reason a bare major suit should never 
be declared originally unless it is of unusual length 
and strength, such as A K J x x x. (See “Two 
Flearts and Two Royals,” par. c, p. 15.) 

Where the Hand Contains 
Two Suits. 

Sometimes there is a choice of declaration as be¬ 
tween a major and a minor suit, both being of nearly 
equal strength. In such cases always call the major 
suit first. The same principle obtains where the choice 
lies between suits of the same game value. (See 
Special Article on “ Choice of Declaration between 
Two Suits of Equal Strength (or nearly so)/’ p. 137.) 


DEALER (Z) OR ORIGINAL BIDDER. 

SPADE CALLS. 

THE CALL OF ONE SPADE. 

1 . This Bid has no Reference to Spades nor Does 
It Possess any Significance Other than “ I 
Pass.” * 

(a) One Spade passes the declaration; any infer¬ 
ence drawn therefrom must be purely nega¬ 
tive. These negative inferences may be any 
one of the following: 

1. That the hand has no value whatever; 

2. That the hand does not contain more 
than two tricks; 

3. That the hand contains no suit declara¬ 
tion, unless that of Hearts or Royals or 
one of dubious nature. 

(b) While optional to call a Spade when holding 
a declaration in a major suit, it is a mistake 
to bid a spade when holding a sound declara¬ 
tion in a minor suit. 

* The Convention requiring Partner to take out an Original 

Spade no longer obtains. 


7 


8 DEALER (Z) OR ORIGINAL BIDDER 

Spade Calls. 

[See Special Articles on “Avoiding an 
Immediate Declaration by calling One 
Spade,” p. 129, and “ Informatory Bids,” 
P- I 3 I-] 

THE CALL OF TWO SPADES. 

2. Declares at Least Two Tricks in a Short Spade 
Suit with One or More Tricks in Another Suit.* 

Indicates high cards in Two short suits, one of 
which being Spades, it thus invites, equally, 
Royals or no-trumps. 

Holding any such combinations as A A K J, 
¥ A K 10, * xxx, ♦ x x x x, the Dealer 
should bid Two Spades, as this call would best 
indicate the character of the hand. 

THE CALL OF THREE SPADES. 

3. Shows Long Weak Spades and at Least Two 
Outside Tricks, f 

(a) This call shows either a long Spade suit with¬ 
out the top honors, such as Q J 10 x x x, or 
an unsound Royal declaration, such as A 10 
x x x, or K J x x x or K 10 x x x x. 

*The old Two-Spade call made without any regard to the 
Spade Suit itself and simply indicating general support for 
a no-trumper is obsolete. To call Two Spades, one now 
must hold Spades — not a suit headed by the Q J — but the 
master cards. 

f NEVER employ this Convention unless sure that Partner 
both approves and understands it. (For the complete system 
of High Spade Calls, see p. 154.) 


DEALER (Z) OR ORIGINAL BIDDER 9 

Spade Calls. 

(b) To justify this call, the hand otherwise should 
contain strong trick-taking cards (aces and 
kings, not queens or jacks) for the reason that 
the Declarer, in making this call, shows a de¬ 
sire to play the hand with the Royals as 
Trump, provided his partner can support him 
with one or two honors, in the Spade Suit. 

(c) The difference between the call of Three 
Spades, and that of a Royal, is that Three 
Spades shows two or more outside tricks, but 
no sure tricks in Spades; while One Royal 
shows two or more tricks in Spades, and one 
or more outside. 

Therefore, partner is invited to declare Royals 
if he holds support in Spades; while had 
Royals been declared, he would have been in¬ 
vited to support such declaration largely on 
his outside cards, irrespective of Spade honors. 


THE MINOR, OR LOSING SUITS. 

THE CALL OF ONE CLUB 
OR DIAMOND. 

4. Declares Two Sure Tricks, or One Sure Trick 
in the Suit Called, and Two Probable Outside 
Tricks.* 


* Holding two suits of equal strength, or nearly so, al¬ 
ways call the higher suit first. See Special Article, p. 137. 



IO 


DEALER (Z) OR ORIGINAL BIDDER 

The Minor, or 
Losing Suits. 

(a) They may also be bid with any stronger 
holding [confined to two suits (i)] as an in¬ 
vitation for no-trump. Holding A A K io; 
VAQJ;Axxxx; ♦ xxx, one Club is 
bid. 

[(i) With a trick in a third suit , the hand 
becomes a no-trumper.'] 

While every suit declaration is presumed to 
be a make, i. e., length as well as strength, the 
element of danger involved in bidding a short 
minor suit is inconsiderable compared to the 
advantage gained by the information imparted 
to partner. (See “ Informatory Bids,” p. 

131-) 

(b) An unestablished suit of great length, such as 
K Q J x x x x, calls for a bid of one only, 
irrespective of the character of the outside 
hand or state of the score (see “ Minor or 
Losing Suits should be Shown, Not Bid as 
Makes,” p. 4). 

Holding, say, ♦ KQJxxxx, A J x x x, 
V x x, the call is One Diamond, even 
though the score be 28. Should partner over¬ 
call with Royals, Hearts or no-trump, the Dia¬ 
mond must be rebid to deny support and indi¬ 
cate a strong unestablished suit of Diamonds 
only. 

[See “To Take Partner Out of a Minor 
Suit with the Other Minor Suit,” Conv. 


DEALER (Z) OR ORIGINAL BIDDER n 

The Minor, or 
Losing Suits. 

40, par. (b), p. 53, also, “To Take 
Partner Out of a Minor Suit with 
Hearts, Royals or No-Trump,” Conv. 

41, par’s, (b) and (c), p. 54.] 

/ N * r * 1 -1--1 J — nf til rrt-AQi* 

ERRATA 

P. 10—Note ( b ), line 10. Royals should be Clubs. 

P. 13—Convention No. 8. The words “and Always 
with a Trick or Two Outside'' should be omitted. 
Though the convention is theoretically sound as 
given, actual practice of the best players favors 
bidding in accordance with the omission of the 
words quoted. 

In line with the above, disregard elsewhere any 
reference to outside strength being a necessary 
requisite to justify a sound original declaration, 
in either the major or minor suits. 


THE CALL OF TWO CLUBS 
OR TWO DIAMONDS. 

5. Declares an Established Suit, or Five or More, 
Such as A K Q J x, with or without Cards of 
Re-entry; 

or 

6. An Unestablished Suit of Great Strength, Such 
asKQJlOxxorAQJxxx with One Sure 
Card of Re-entry. 


12 DEALER (Z) OR ORIGINAL BIDDER 

The Minor, or 
Losing Suits. 

(a) A strong call for no-trump, indicating either a 
One, or a Two-suited hand, containing five or 
more tricks. 

(b) Should the established suit be accompanied by 
an outside ace, or should the unestablished 
suit have more than one card of re-entry, they 
become no-trumpers. (See Convention No. 
13, p. 18.) 

(c) An original bid of Two, not more, in a minor 
suit is informative only, and does not convey 
to partner the desire of Declarer to play the 
hand in the suit bid, as it would in Hearts or 
Royals, because the presumption is strongly 
against winning the final declaration with a 
minor suit. Such suits cannot be persisted in 
indefinitely in opposition to bids in higher 
suits. Confronted by such opposition, the 
only resource is a no-trumper. 

[Great length (K Q J io x x) in an un¬ 
established suit of Clubs or Diamonds 
without a sure card of re-entry, does not 
justify an initial bid of more than One, 
even to the score. (See Conv. 4, par. 
b, p. 9.] 

[It may also be well to remind those who 
have adopted the dubious expedient of 
calling Two in a suit to deny the Ace 
and King, that such call does not obtain 
where Clubs or Diamonds are con¬ 
cerned.] 


DEALER (Z) OR ORIGINAL BIDDER 13 

The Minor, or 
Losing Suits. 

THE CALL OF THREE CLUBS 
OR THREE DIAMONDS. 

7 . Declares Extraordinary Length in an Estab¬ 
lished Suit with no Re-entry. 


(a) Indicates six or more tricks in hand in Clubs, 
and Seven or more, in Diamonds, all con¬ 
tained in one solid suit with no card of re¬ 
entry ; 

(b) Any call of more than Two in a minor suit is 
not recommended as good practice. Two is 
quite sufficient to indicate a solid suit irre¬ 
spective of its length. Calls of Three or more 
should indicate a desire to play the suit bid as 
trump, in which case the bidder should have 
possibility of game in hand. 


THE MAJOR, OR WINNING, SUITS. 

THE DECLARATION OF ONE 
HEART OR ONE ROYAL. 

8 . Declares Five or More in Suit with Two Sure 
Tricks at the Top, Such as A K 10 x x; or A Q 
J x x; or K Q J x x, or K Q 10 x x, and Always 
with a Trick or Two Outside. 

(a) A four-card suit should not be declared unless 
it contains four honors, or three of the four 



i 4 DEALER (Z) OR ORIGINAL BIDDER 

The Major, or 
Winning Suits. 

top honors with at least Two probable tricks 
outside, because the partner will seldom take 
you out of such a declaration unless he is very 
weak in the suit called. 

[See also Special Article on “ Choice of 
Declaration between Suits of Equal 
Strength,” p. 137.] 

THE DECLARATION OF TWO 
HEARTS OR TWO ROYALS. 

9. Declares Great Length and Strength Together 

with Strong Side Hand, Such as V A Q J 10 

xx *xx; ♦ AJxx>x. 

(a) Indicates control of suit and six or more tricks 
in hand, if the declared suit is the trump. So 
bid to indicate strength and, at the same time 
shut out, if possible, adverse bidding. 

(b) Many players have an entirely wrong concep¬ 
tion of the proper use of this two-trick bid; 
either that, or they lack the moral courage to 
start with a bid of One and permit other 
declarations. The call of Two in a major suit 
is a “ shut-out ” bid and usually shows a two- 
suited hand. 

However, when the hand is not a two-suiter, 
but contains doubtful outside or supporting 
cards, the bid should be One (or One Spade), 
in order that partner may give information 


DEALER (Z) OR ORIGINAL BIDDER 15 

The Major, or 
Winning Suits. 

which will indicate the probable trick value of 
the combined hands — information to which 
the Opponents may contribute. 

[Do not bid Two, or more, in a major 
suit if the trick-taking power of your 
outside cards depends on your Partner’s 
support, or upon the position of master 
cards in the hands of Opponents. With 
V A IC Q x x x, A K x, ♦ Q 10, 
* A J x, for instance, the Ace of Clubs 
is the only sure outside trick.] 

(c) We have seen that an original bid of Two in 
a major suit usually indicates a strong two- 
suited hand. We have also seen that with the 
outside strength divided and of doubtful trick 
value, the Dealer should start with a bid of 
One, or with a Spade. 

But there is still another class of hands,— 
those containing a strong major suit, and 
nothing else. These hands are not receptive, 
as their value, outside of the one suit, depends 
wholly upon the cards in partner’s hand. 
Therefore, this holding is indicated to partner 
by an original bid of Two, and the character 
of outside hand is shown later by refusing 
further to participate in the bidding, even 
though supported by partner. 

The reason for this is that should Dealer hold, 
say, the A K Q x x x of Hearts, with not an 
outside trick, to start with One Heart fails to 


16 DEALER (Z) OR ORIGINAL BIDDER 
The Major, or 
Winning Suits. 

convey exact information. It risks a double 
meaning because should Dealer subsequently 
bid more Hearts, his partner is unable to tell 
whether this persistence indicates a long 
strong Heart Suit, or an average Heart hold¬ 
ing with outside support. 

(d) Suits headed by the queen or jack, no matter 
their length, have no value as an original dec¬ 
laration. The proper manner of handling 
such suits has been provided for by the estab¬ 
lishment of a Convention (No. 86, p. 118) 
allowing their declaration on the second round 
of bidding. 

[The Convention permitting an original 
bid of Two in a suit (Q J ioxxx) in 
order to deny the tops, is not recom¬ 
mended for general use.] 

THE DECLARATION OF THREE 
(OR MORE) HEARTS 
OR ROYALS. 

10. Declares a Very Strong Holding, Together with 
Strong Supporting Side Suit, Such as ¥ K Q J 
10 9 x, * A K Q x, ♦xx, A x; or A A Q J 
X X X X, ♦ K Q J 10, * X X, ¥ —. 

(a) Indicates control of the suit bid and Seven or 
more tricks in hand. A bid of this description 
shows more than a mere preference to play 


DEALER (Z) OR ORIGINAL BIDDER 17 

The Major, or 
• Winning Suits. 

the hand in the suit bid. It evidences a strong 
desire to shut out any declaration by Op¬ 
ponents and indicates usually that the strength 
of the hand lies in but two of the four suits, 
and that this particular combination was the 
dominant reason for such call. 

(b) Expensive contracts, to escape being either 
dangerous, absurd or unnecessary, should 
combine the following elements: 

1. Declarer’s ability to make his contract; 

2. Declarer’s presumption that with average 
assistance from partner, he can make 
game; 

3. Declarer’s fear that Opponents, if al¬ 
lowed to bid, may find that they hold 
between them his two missing suits and 
therewith either capture the declaration, 
or force him into a losing contract, in 
order to save game. 

(c) Sound high original bids will often produce 
wonderful penalties, should a too venturesome 
Opponent undertake a speculative overcall, 
only to find partner of original bidder holding 
balance of strength. 


i8 


DEALER (Z) OR ORIGINAL BIDDER 


NO-TRUMPS. 

DECLARATION OF ONE NO-TRUMP. 

11. Declares More than Average Strength Distrib¬ 
uted among Three Suits, but with no Major Suit 
Long Enough for the Trump, Such as V AQx; 
* Q J x; ♦ A J 10 x; * K J x; or ♦ A J x x; 

KQlOx; V AQx: A xx; 

or 

12. A Long Minor Suit that One Round will Estab¬ 
lish with Two Re-entries, Such as ♦ A Q J x x 
x; V K Q x; A Ax; ♦ xx; 

or 

13 . A Long Established Minor Suit with One Sure 
Re-entry, Such as ♦ A K Q J x x; A Axx; 
V x x ; x x. 

(a) While there is no standard or measure for de¬ 
termining what constitutes a no-trump, it can 
be assumed that as an equal distribution of 
the fifty-two cards would give each player one 
ace, one king, one queen, one jack, etc., an ace, 
king or queen beyond such distribution would 
exceed the average, but the strength must be 
distributed among three suits. 

(b) The no-trumper is the great objective, and the 
first round of bidding should be devoted to 


DEALER (Z) OR ORIGINAL BIDDER 19 

No-Trumps. 

indications leading up to this declaration. A 
player, if not able to bid no-trump himself, 
should show his partner wherein tricks may 
be had; in other words, show his aces and 
kings. 

[Bluff (or blocking) declarations of no- 
trump, should not be called on less than 
Three tricks in different suits. (See 
Special Article on “Varieties of No- 
Trumpers,” p. 149.] 

THE DECLARATION OF 
TWO NO-TRUMP. 

14 . Declares an Exceptional Holding of High Cards. 

So declared to prevent Opponents from giving 
each other information. The bid usually indi¬ 
cates either 100 aces in hand, or a long solid 
Club or Diamond suit with only one stopper in 
each of two other suits, nothing in the third, 
such as A A K Q J 10 x x; V x; A A 10; 

♦ K 10 x. 


SECOND HAND (A) OR 
SECOND BIDDER. 


WHERE DEALER HAS CALLED 
ONE SPADE. 

TO DOUBLE:* 

15. Indicates Two Sure Tricks in Spades, but not 
More than Three Cards with at Least One Sure 
Trick Outside. 

(a) Doubling One Spade differs from the call of 
Two Spades over that of One Spade (Con¬ 
vention No. 16) in that the first shows three 
cards only in the Spade Suit, and the second, 
exactly four. 

(b) To double One Spade shows precisely the 
same holding as would an original call of Two 
(Convention No. 2, p. 8) and indicates pri¬ 
marily at least Three tricks divided between 
two suits. 

TO OVERCALL WITH 
TWO SPADES:* 

16. Holding Two Sure Tricks to Exactly Four 
Spades, Such as A K x x or A Q J x, or K Q 10 

* NEVER double One Spade, or call Two Spades with 
only Queen or Jack-High in Spades, no matter how long the 
suit. 


20 


SECOND HAND (A) OR SECOND BIDDER 21 

Where Dealer Has 
Called One Spade. 

x, with an Outside Trick or Two, Call Two 

Spades over Previous Declaration of One Spade. 

This gives the same information as an original 
Two Spade, or the doubling of Dealer’s One 
Spade, except that it shows Four Royals and 
is therefore more of a call for Royals than 
no-trump. 

TO OVERCALL WITH 

THREE SPADES:* 

17. Shows Long Weak Spades and at Least Two 

Outside Tricks. 

(a) This call shows either a long Spade suit with¬ 
out the top honors, such as Q J 10 x x x, or 
an unsound Royal declaration, such as A 10 
x x x, or K J x x x or K 10 x x x x. 

(b) To justify this call, the hand otherwise should 
contain strong trick-taking cards (aces and 
kings; not queens or jacks) for the reason 
that the declarer in making this call shows a 
desire to play the hand with the Royals as 
Trump, provided his partner can support him 
with one or two honors in the Spade suit. 

(c) The difference between the call of Three 

* NEVER employ this Convention unless sure that partner 
both approves and understands it. (For the Complete Sys¬ 
tem of High Spade Calls, see p. 154.) 


22 SECOND HAND (A) OR SECOND BIDDER 

Where Dealer Has 

Called One Spade. 

Spades, and that of a Royal, is that Three 
Spades shows two or more outside tricks, but 
no sure tricks in Spades; while One Royal 
shows two or more tricks in Spades and one 
or more outside. 

Therefore, partner is invited to support a 
Three Spade declaration if he holds support 
in Spades; while had Royals been declared, 
he would have been invited to support such 
declaration largely on his outside cards, irre¬ 
spective of Spades. 

TO OVERCALL WITH A SUIT 
OR NO-TRUMP. 

18. Any Declaration by Second Hand over Dealer’s 
One Spade Must Conform to the Conventions 
Laid Down for the Opening Bid. 

(a) Dealer’s One Spade is not a declaration in the 
sense that it warrants Second Hand in bidding 
suits lacking the A K, because Second Hand 
has now automatically become the original 
bidder, and he must no more deceive his part¬ 
ner than if he were the actual Dealer. 

The Conventions which would have applied to 
Dealer’s position will now apply to Second 
Hand; the only latitude allowed would be in 
calling no-trump with a slightly weaker hold¬ 
ing than would be permissible by Dealer. 


SECOND HAND (A) OR SECOND BIDDER 23 

Where Dealer Has 
Called One Spade. 


(b) The fact that there is no longer any Conven¬ 
tion requiring Dealer’s partner to take out his 
One Spade, has brought about a complete 
change in Second Hand practice. Second 
Hand is no longer assured of another chance 
to bid, and, therefore, to pass One Spade usu¬ 
ally denies any bid or call in hand. 


WHERE DEALER HAS CALLED 
TWO SPADES. 

TO DOUBLE: 

19. Indicates Length and Strength (Three or More 
Sure Tricks) in the Spade Suit, and no Other 
Declaration in Hand. 

This double indicates the best lead in case Op¬ 
ponent’s partner makes a game-going declara¬ 
tion. It also shows (to Doubler’s partner) 
that the doubling hand has no declaration or 
supporting strength, outside of the suit so 
doubled. 


WHERE DEALER HAS CALLED 
THREE SPADES. 


TO DOUBLE: 

20. Indicates Two Sure Tricks in Spades with at 
Least One Outside Trick. 




24 SECOND HAND (A) OR SECOND BIDDER 


WHERE DEALER HAS DECLARED 
ONE IN A SUIT. 


TO DOUBLE: 

21. Indicates Great Length and Strength (Three or 
More Sure Tricks) in Opponent’s Suit, and no 
Other Declaration in Hand. 

This double indicates the best lead in case Op¬ 
ponent’s partner makes a game-going declara¬ 
tion. It also shows (to the Doubler’s part¬ 
ner) that the doubling hand has no declaration 
except in the suit already named. 

This massing of a suit in two hands is a very deli¬ 
cate situation, and calls for exceptional treat¬ 
ment. If the Doubler cannot call no-trump 
he must either call Two in the suit just bid 01 
double it. To pass may cost the game or in- 
volve his partner in a costly double, as he is 
not aware of the exact situation. 

The opponent on the left, with fair strength in 
remaining suits, is bound to declare no-trump 
in order to deny his partner’s suit, whereupon 
the Doubler’s partner, even with a better hand, 
is forced to guess as to the distribution of the 
suit. 

Doubling will clear the situation. It may be valu¬ 
able information for the adversaries, but it is 
doubly, triply valuable to the partner. 


SECOND HAND (A) OR SECOND BIDDER 25 

Where Dealer Has 
Declared One in a Suit. 

The second opponent may now fear to declare no- 
trump, but should he do so, the line of attack 
has been indicated. 

Should the opponent on the left pass, the dou¬ 
bler’s partner is free to bid the no-trump, no 
longer fearing his greatest weakness. 


WHERE DEALER HAS DECLARED 
ONE IN A SUIT, OR TWO 
OR MORE SPADES. 

TO OVERCALL WITH A SUIT: 

22. Indicates More the Ability of Overcaller to 
Make His Contract than it Does the Exact 
Strength of the Suit so Bid.* 

(a) Any declaration or call, other than One Spade, 
is termed an “ offensive ” declaration, and all 
bids which follow the first offensive declara¬ 
tion, of necessity, become “ forced ” bids 
(Convention No. 92, p. 121) and may, or may 
not, possess the same signification as would a 
natural or “free” bid (Convention No. 91, 
p. 120). 

(b) Whenever the suit that overcalls contains the 
“ tops,” few, if any, difficulties occur in the 

* Neither the suit bid (by Opponent) nor the number of 
tricks called therein, affect or change the principles involved. 



26 SECOND HAND (A) OR SECOND BIDDER 

Where Dealer Has Declared 

One in a Suit, or Two or More Spades, 

subsequent bidding; complications arise only 
when the suit bid lacks both the ace and king, 
in which event the inevitable distinction be¬ 
tween calling major or minor suits must be 
taken into consideration. 

A major suit without the “ tops ” can be 
called, because it is a game declaration, which 
partner should support if possible, and not 
take out, while a minor suit without the 
“ tops ” is a bad bid, for the reason that minor 
suits are primarily supporting suits, which 
partner should take out with a game-going 
declaration at every opportunity. 

To illustrate this principle: — should Second 
Hand overcall the Dealer’s minor suit (or 
Spades) with a major suit, and Fourth Hand 
hold a no-trumper, he will, or should, support 
Second Hand therewith, unless the suit bid 
happens to be his great weakness. In such a 
case Fourth Hand will take out Second Hand, 
and such take-out is seldom predicated upon 
the trick value of Second Hand’s suit. That 
the suit be defended is usually the main requi¬ 
site. 

But, should Second Hand overcall with a 
minor suit, and Fourth Hand thereupon take 
out such declaration, this take-out is predi¬ 
cated absolutely upon the trick value of 


SECOND HAND (A) OR SECOND BIDDER 27 

Where Dealer Has Declared 
One in a Suit, or Two or More Spades. 

Second Hand’s suit and, without the “tops,” 
a suit under such conditions has no trick value 
whatsoever. 

Where Dealer has Called 
Two or Three Spades: 

(c) When Dealer’s call so directly invites a game¬ 
going declaration by partner, Second Hand’s 
first consideration is to anticipate such declara¬ 
tion by indicating (if possible) a suit, which 
may serve to modify, or defend against, the 
impending declaration. 

(d) Holding a few scattered high cards, with no 
definite lead to indicate, a favorite practice 
among some players is to step in and call a 
no-trump for the purpose of blocking off, if 
possible, this dangerous declaration by Third 
Hand. 

Where the Dealer has Called 
a Minor Suit: 

(e) Such call is usually an invitation for Third 
Hand to make some game-going declaration, 
and it becomes the duty of Second Hand to 
indicate any good suit he may have, which, if 
led at once, may serve to save game, in case 
such invitation be accepted. 


28 SECOND HAND (A) OR SECOND BIDDER 

Where Dealer Has Declared 

One in a Suit, or Two or More Spades. 

Where the Dealer has Declared 
a Major Suit: 

(f) Here, it is generally safe to assume that such 
declarations will not be molested by Third 
Hand, in which case there is no occasion for 
Second Hand to show his suit (if any) by 
bidding it. 

A possible exception to the foregoing would 
be where the intervening player’s holding in 
Opponent’s suit is of such character as would 
lead him to believe that it will be denied by 
bidder’s partner, in which case he must antici¬ 
pate this action by indicating his suit (if any). 

Free Bids or “ Shouts.” 

(g) Whenever a player holds an established minor 
suit containing six or more sure tricks, or an 
exceptionally strong and long major suit, and 
desires to inform partner of this fact without 
delay, he “ shouts ” by overcalling the previous 
declaration by one or more tricks than is 
necessary. (See Convention No. 91, p. 120.) 
Any bid that would be Two only as an original 
call, thus becomes Three, although Two would 
be sufficient to overcall, and, while forced to 
this extent, it is to all intent and purpose a 
“ free bid.” The slight risk involved in such 
calls is justifiable, especially where it is in a 
minor suit, because it often allows partner, 


SECOND HAND (A) OR SECOND BIDDER 29 

Where Dealer Has Declared 
One in a Suit, or Two or More Spades. 

holding an outside ace, together with a stop in 
Opponent’s suit, to declare no-trump. 

TO OVERCALL WITH NO-TRUMP: 

23 . Indicates a Strong Hand with Defense in Op¬ 
ponent’s Suit, Such as V A Q x, * A K J x x, 
♦ KQ, AAxxorVJx, 4 »xx, ♦AKQJ 
xxx, A A x.* 

The above illustration assumes Z to have called 
a Royal (or Two or Three Spades) and A a 
no-trump; it also assumes A’s long suit to be 
a minor one; had it been a major suit he would 
have called it and expected, with any help 
from partner, to make game. 

But game (five tricks in a minor suit) is more 
than A has any right to expect. He there¬ 
fore bids no-trump on the first round and re¬ 
serves the minor suit in case of further oppo¬ 
sition — that is, unless his partner calls a 
Heart, in which case he will support the Heart. 

or 

24 . Indicates a Fair Hand with at Least Double 
Defense in Opponent’s Suit, Such as V A J x; 

*QJx;» Qxx; A A J 9 x. 

Above illustration assumes Z to have called a 
Royal (or Two or Three Spades) and A a 

* Neither the suit bid (by Opponent) nor the number of 

tricks called therein, affect or change the principles involved. 


3 o SECOND HAND (A) OR SECOND BIDDER 

Where Dealer Has Declared 

One in a Suit, or Two or More Spades. 

no-trump; while A’s hand is too light to ex¬ 
pect game without strong support from part¬ 
ner; still, should he pass, hoping to be able 
to call no-trump on the second round, or that 
his partner (B) will bid a Heart, he risks Y’s 
calling the Heart instead, thereby shutting out 
a possible Club or Diamond indication from 
B. Should this take place, A is too weak to 
declare no-trump. 

The advantage that A gains in calling a no-trump 
at once is that it informs his partner (B) of a 
defense in Spades, and at the same time may 
block an indication by Y. 


or 

25 . Indicates an Exceptionally Strong Hand with 
no Defense in Opponent’s Suit, nor Sufficient 
Length in a Major Suit to Risk its Declaration, 
Such as V A J 10 , * A K J x, ♦ K Q J x, A x x. 

Above illustration assumes Z to have declared 
Royals (or Two or Three Spades) and A 
no-trump. A holding of this description is 
one which would justify a call of Five Spades 
if it were not that many players are averse 
to High Spade Calls. 

This hand presents a problem. Whether to over¬ 
bid or not, and if bid, what to call. If passed, 
B could hardly be expected to have a bid that 
he would dare to risk. Therefore, the hand 


SECOND HAND (A) OR SECOND BIDDER 31 

Where Dealer Has Declared 
One in a Suit, or Two or More Spades. 

would be played as One Royal, seemingly a 
criminal waste of a strong band. 

Many players would prefer to risk a no-trump, 
hoping their partner defends Opponent’s Roy¬ 
als or will bid a Heart suit he would not 
otherwise have called. At the worst, this 
hand cannot go down very much, and whether 
a player cares to take this risk or not, depends 
upon himself entirely. With a weaker hand, 
it would be folly to take any such risk; how¬ 
ever, here it would seem hardly sportsmanlike 
not to have a try for something. 


WHERE DEALER HAS DECLARED 
TWO OR MORE IN A SUIT. 

TO DOUBLE: 

26. Indicates Two or More Sure Tricks in Oppo¬ 
nent's Suit, Together with an Outside Hand of 
Sufficient Strength to Insure Defeating Oppo¬ 
nent’s Contract. 

In case the left-hand opponent passes, the Dou¬ 
bler’s partner will be able, by his own holding, 
to decide upon the best procedure — whether 
to leave the double alone or take it out with 
some game-going declaration. 



32 SECOND HAND (A) OR SECOND BIDDER 

Where Dealer Has Declared 

Two or More in a Suit. 

TO OVERCALL WITH A SUIT OR 
NO-TRUMP. 

26a. The Suit Bid (by Opponent) or the Number of 
Tricks Originally Called Therein does not Af¬ 
fect or Change the Principles Given under Con¬ 
ventions Nos. 22-25, Pages 25-30. 

(a) Obviously, an Opponent’s high call often 
proves very embarrassing; perhaps that was 
the object of the call. Nevertheless, the rea¬ 
sons, either for passing or overcalling such 
declarations, are merely accentuated thereby, 
and not changed. 


WHERE DEALER HAS DECLARED 
ONE NO-TRUMP. 


TO DOUBLE: 

27. Holding a Strong but Short-Suited No-Trump, 
a Double will Sometimes be More Advisable 
than Risking an Immediate Call of Two No- 
Trump. 

This conventional double requires a partner to bid 
Two in his long suit or to declare Two no- 
trump, as he thinks best. 

Doubling does not, in bidding, change the original 
value of the bid, and allows your partner a 



SECOND HAND (A) OR SECOND BIDDER 33 

Where Dealer Has 
Declared One No-Trump. 

voice in the selection of a declaration best 
suited to the combined hands. 

TO OVERCALL WITH A SUIT: 

28. Second Hand should not Overbid the Dealer’s 
No-Trump except with Strong Attacking Hand, 
Defended against Possible Double or Loss of 
Game Through Shift to a Winning Declaration 
by Opponents.* 

(a) This situation is one of the most crucial (and 
the least understood) which arises in the 
course of bidding. Therefore, it is of the 
utmost importance that players should thor¬ 
oughly understand the principles governing 
the action of Second Hand where Dealer has 
bid no-trump, for the inferences to be drawn 
therefrom differ radically from any other 
situation which confronts the bidder. 

(b) The two requisites, the second of more impor¬ 
tance than the first, for a possible suit declara¬ 
tion are: 

First: That the hand is good for six or seven 
tricks with a major suit as trump, or good for 
game where the suit bid is a minor one. 

Second: That the hand contains sufficient 

* The number of tricks bid originally (by Opponent) neither 
affects nor changes the princip’es involved. 


34 SECOND HAND (A) OR SECOND BIDDER 

Where Dealer Has 
Declared One No-Trump. 

outside tricks to save game in case partners 
fail to win the declaration and opponents have 
changed theirs because of Second Hand’s bid. 

(c) It should be clearly understood that if the 
trick-taking strength of the hand be massed 
in one long suit and sufficient to fulfil the first 
requirements, that this is not in itself sufficient 
reason to justify Second Hand in overcalling 
a declared no-trumper, for it is the height 
of folly to overbid or double a no-trump with 
nothing outside one suit in hand, no matter 
how strong the suit. 

To double warns the no-trumper of his dan¬ 
ger. To bid amounts to the same thing. 
Second Hand should pass, though holding, 
say, A K Q J x x (even in a major suit) ; this 
is certain defense against the no-trump, but 
most uncertain should the opponents, because 
of a warning bid or double, change their dec¬ 
laration. 

(d) Second Hand must not overcall the no-trump 
to indicate a suit, but to indicate a hand of 
great strength which his partner is expected 
to assist provided he holds any support what¬ 
soever, irrespective of the fact that Dealer has 
called no-trump. 

(e) Further indications are that Second Hand does 
not fear any switch in the declaration and, 


SECOND HAND (A) OR SECOND BIDDER 35 

Where Dealer Has 
Declared One No-Trump. 

also, that he may be able to defeat a bid of 
Two no-trump. In other words, his bidding 
creates a doubt as to the soundness of the no- 
trumper, but should leave no doubt as to the 
strength of his own hand. 

(f) The reason for insisting that Second Hand 
must not overbid with only an average strong 
hand is to avoid a double meaning for this 
bid; — to differentiate between average and 
great strength, so that Fourth Hand is never 
in doubt when, and when not, to support 
Second Hand’s declaration. 

This system of bidding against a no-trumper 
establishes great confidence between partners 
and produces the best results, both for attack 
or defense. Thus, if Second Hand overbids, 
Fourth Hand will never hesitate, but promptly 
support the declaration if possible; or, if 
Second Hand passes, Fourth Hand will indi¬ 
cate his best suit (even at the risk of a dou¬ 
ble) and Second Hand will not push such 
forced declaration except to make or save 
game. (See also Fourth Hand, Convention 
No. 8o, p. 112 .) 

29. Overcalling Dealer’s No-Trump with no Higher 
Purpose in View than to Push the Bidding, or 
to Indicate a Suit, is Usually Both Dangerous 
and Stupid, 


36 SECOND HAND (A) OR SECOND BIDDER 

Where Dealer Has 
Declared One No-Trump. 

(g) One of the most common and greatest errors 
of judgment is to assume that it is always 
one’s duty to push the previous bid. No aver¬ 
age strong hand, such as ♦ A Q J x x, A x x, 
V A x x, * IC x x, has any business, unaided 
by partner, contending against a declared no- 
trumper. 

If players would only stop to figure the risks 
involved without compensatory benefits, many 
bids, obviously more to the opponent’s advan¬ 
tage than partner’s, would never be made. 

The risks incurred would be about as follows: 

1. Chance of being doubled by either op¬ 
ponent ; 

2 . Driving opponents into a safe Heart or 
Royal and thereby forfeiting any chance 
of saving the game against their no- 
trumper; 

3 . Notifying adversary that he would be 
wise in finessing against your hand; 

4 . Leading your partner into pushing your 
bid too far, under the impression that you 
have invited him to do so; 

5 . And last, but not least, blocking any 
chance of learning partner’s suit until too 
late to save game, 


SECOND HAND (A) OR SECOND BIDDER 37 

Where Dealer Has 
Declared One No-Trump. 

And all for what purpose? Of embarrassing 
the opponents? If their holding is not strong 
enough to justify a further bid, they are well 
out of it. Of indicating your suit to partner? 
All that is necessary in this direction is to lead 
it, if the no-trumper is left in. 

Players who take these risks are held very 
cheap. Imagine the feeling of security pos¬ 
sessed by an opponent when a player of this 
order sits at his left. The opponent is free to 
make the most risky declaration with the posi¬ 
tive assurance that he will be taken out, and 
he or his partner will then have ample oppor¬ 
tunity, either to double, arrange upon a safe 
declaration, or allow the bid to stand, as best 
suits their own hands. 

By keeping quiet, unless you can materially 
advance the interests of your side, you instil 
wholesome respect in the minds of partner and 
opponents, not only for your declarations, but 
for your silence. 

(h) The following may serve to illustrate holdings 
which would justify Second Hand in immedi¬ 
ately overcalling Dealer’s no-trump: 

1. A A K 10 x x x, V J x,_ * —, ♦ A Q 
J x x. Strong two-suited hand. 

Bid Two Royals with the expectation of 
capturing declaration. This bid should 


3 8 SECOND HAND (A) OR SECOND BIDDER 

Where Dealer Has 

Declared One No-Trump. 

be followed up, for fear that opponent 
may hold a Club no-trumper, in which 
case it would neither be safe to double 
nor to allow the opponent to play the 
hand, even at Three no-trump. 

V A Q J io x, A K Q x, ♦ A J io, 
K x. Strong no-trump with pre¬ 
dominating winning suit. 

Bid Two Hearts with expectation of cap¬ 
turing declaration. Should opponent 
here follow up their no-trump, or any 
other declaration, a double would be in 
order. 

♦ A K Q J x, * Q J io x, » A x, * 
K x. A no-trump having the strength 
massed in a minor suit. 

With nothing marked on the score, a 
player should not be unduly anxious to 
overbid Dealer’s no-trumper with Two 
Diamonds. To be sure Two Diamonds 
appear a certainty, but why waste good 
ammunition on small game? Bid Two 
Clubs — the opportunity is ripe for pen¬ 
alties — providing the opponents swallow 
the bait and persist in their no-trumper. 
With six or more practically sure tricks 
in hand, a cunning player will tempt his 
opponents to go Two no-trump by bid- 


SECOND HAND (A) OR SECOND BIDDER 39 

Where Dealer Has 
Declared One No-Trump. 

ding a suit they in all probability hold 
safe. Should they do so, not suspecting 
his real strength, player will set the con¬ 
tract. 

It is called “ THE SHIFT ” because if 
opponents double instead of bidding Two 
no-trump, player shifts to his strong 
(diamond) suit. 

TO OVERCALL WITH TWO 
NO-TRUMP: 

30 . This is Never Advisable except with a Game 
Hand, or where Game is in Danger.* 

(a) With at least eight tricks in hand (figuring 
partner for one trick only) Second Hand 
should call Two no-trumps provided: 

1. The penalties obtainable are not likely to 
equal the value of game or rubber, if 
won. 

2. There exists small probability of Oppo¬ 
nents changing to some suit declaration, 
difficult or impossible to defeat. 

(b) When one odd trick will score game for Op¬ 
ponents: Second Hand holding stronger than 
an average hand (with or without game possi- 

*The number of tricks bid originally (by Opponent) neither 
affect nor change the principles involved. 


40 SECOND HAND (A) OR SECOND BIDDER 

Where Dealer Has 
Declared One No-Trump. 

bilities) may attempt to save game by over¬ 
bidding, taking care not to risk incurring 
penalties in excess of the value of game 
saved. 

[Never risk a loss that would exceed 
200 points for the first game, or 300 
points for rubber game.] 


WHERE DEALER HAS DECLARED 
TWO OR MORE NO-TRUMP. 

TO DOUBLE: 

31 . Indicates Positive Assurance of Defeating such 
Declaration and a Hand Defended against Loss 
of Game should Opponents Switch. 

Unless two-odd would be sufficient for Opponents 
to score game, whether doubled or not, the 
Second Player should not risk a double unless 
able to defeat the no-trump with his own hand. 

TO OVERCALL: 

The Number of Tricks Originally Called (by 
Opponent) Does not Affect or Change the Prin¬ 
ciples given under Conventions Nos. 28 - 30 . 

(a) Obviously, an Opponent’s high call often 
proves embarrassing; perhaps that was the 



SECOND HAND (A) OR SECOND BIDDER 41 

Where Dealer Has Declared 
Two or More No-Trump. 

object of the call. Nevertheless, the reasons, 
either for passing or overcalling such declara¬ 
tions are merely accentuated by such call, and 
not changed. 


THIRD HAND (Y) OR 
THIRD BIDDER. 

WHERE DEALER HAS CALLED 
ONE SPADE. 

SECOND HAND PASSING. 

TO TAKE PARTNER OUT. 

32 . Third Hand Should Have at Least a Trick 

More than would Justify a Declaration by 

Dealer.* 

The minimum trick-taking strength of the hand 
should be Three tricks, or more, in a suit dec¬ 
laration, or Four tricks in no-trump. 

(a) The above Convention is more theory than 
practice, the idea being to impress upon Third 
Hand that to justify a declaration, extra 
strength is required to make up for partner’s 
weakness. 

(b) Theoretically, Third Hand, when Dealer has 
called One Spade, is not justified in declaring 

* According to modern practice, Third Hand is no longer 
obliged to take out Dealer’s One Spade with anything short 
of sound declaration. 


42 


THIRD HAND (Y) OR THIRD BIDDER 43 

Where Dealer Has Called 
One Spade: Second Hand Passing. 

a hand short of game possibilities; but prac¬ 
tically, with a sound declaration in hand, pass¬ 
ing is not advisable, because (i) the Dealer 
may have passed a winning declaration, await¬ 
ing information; or (2) it may be of vital 
importance to indicate a lead in case Fourth 
Hand makes some winning declaration. 

SECOND HAND DOUBLING. 

TO PASS, REDOUBLE, OR TAKE 
PARTNER OUT. 

33 . This Double is an Invitation for Fourth Hand 
to Make any Winning Declaration. Therefore, 
Third Hand Should Indicate a Lead if Possible, 
Otherwise Allow the Doubled One Spade to 
Pass. 

To Pass. 

The Laws limit the loss of One Spade to 100 
points. Therefore, Third Hand should not 
risk a greater loss by making some weak bid. 

To Redouble. 

Where Third Hand’s best suit happens to be 
Spades, say, Q J 10 x x or A J x x x or K 10 
9 x x, a redouble indicates the desired lead in 
case Fourth Hand makes a winning declara¬ 
tion. 


44 THIRD HAND (Y) OR THIRD BIDDER 

Where Dealer Has Called 

One Spade: Second Hand Doubling. 

To Overcall. 

Even with a hand of more than average strength, 
Third Hand, without game possibility in hand, 
should confine himself to indicating the lead 
which best suits his hand. This advice is of¬ 
fered to players who are inclined to declare a 
light no-trumper only to have it promptly 
overcalled by Fourth Hand with Two no- 
trump •— a valuable opportunity to indicate a 
lead being thereby lost. 

SECOND HAND BIDDING. 

TO PASS OR OVERCALL: 

34. Partner Having Shown Weakness, Third Hand 
is Seldom Justified in Making any Declaration 
except for the Purpose of Going Game; or for 
the Purpose of Indicating a Lead, should Sec¬ 
ond Hand’s Declaration, Directly or Indirectly, 
Invite a “ Take-out ” by Fourth Hand. 

Third Hand, by virtue of Dealer’s passing and 
Second Hand making the initial declaration, 
is now the Second Bidder; therefore, in this 
position, Third Hand should familiarize him¬ 
self with Second Hand practice. 

For the greater convenience of the reader, some 
of the Conventions and Notes of Second Hand 
are here appended, and reference thereto may 


THIRD HAND (Y) OR THIRD BIDDER 45 

Where Dealer Has Called 
One Spade: Second Hand Bidding. 

aid Third Hand in his declarations, always 
remembering that the tzvo situations are not 
analogous, for the reason that Third Hand’s 
partner has already passed; whereas, in all 
Second Hand Conventions, the partner has yet 
to speak. 

In quoting the Conventions and Notes, the posi¬ 
tions of the players have been shifted, other¬ 
wise they read the same. 

To Overcall with a Suit Second 
Hand’s Suit Declaration: 

(Conv. 22 ) Indicates More the Ability of 
Overcaller to Make His Contract than it 
Does the Exact Strength of the Suit so 
Bid.” 

“ Where Second Hand has Called 
a Minor Suit.” 

“(e) Such call is usually an invitation for 
Fourth-Hand to make some game-going 
declaration, and it becomes the duty of 
Third-Hand to indicate any good suit he 
may have, which, if led at once, may 
serve to save game, in case such invita¬ 
tion be accepted.” 

“ Where Second Hand has Called 
a Major Suit.” 

“ (f) Here, it is generally safe to assume 
that such declaration will not be molested 


46 THIRD HAND (Y) OR THIRD BIDDER 

Where Dealer Has Called 

One Spade: Second Hand Bidding. 

by Fourth-Hand, in which case there is 
no occasion for Third-Hand to show his 
suit (if any) by bidding it. 

A possible exception to the foregoing 
would be where the intervening player’s 
holding in Opponent’s suit is of such 
character as would lead him to believe 
that it will be denied by bidder’s part¬ 
ner, in which case he must anticipate 
this action by indicating his suit (if 
any). 

To Overcall with No-Trump Second 

Hand’s Suit Declaration. 

“(Conv. 23 ) Indicates a Strong Hand with 
Defense in Opponent’s Suit, Such as V A 
Q x, * A K J x x, ♦ K Q, A A x x or 
V J x, 4 x x, ♦ AKQJxxx, A A x.” 
or 

“(Conv. 24 ) Indicates a Fair Hand with at 
Least Double Defense in Opponent’s Suit, 
Such asVAJx;*QJx; ♦ Q x x; 
A A J 9 x.’’ 

or 

“(Conv. 25 ) Indicates an Exceptionally 
Strong Hand with no Defense in Oppo¬ 
nent’s Suit, nor Sufficient Length in a 
Winning Suit to Risk Its Declaration, 
Such as V A J 10 , A A K J x, ♦ K Q J x, 
A x x.’’ 

[For appended Notes, see pp. 29-31.] 


THIRD HAND (Y) OR THIRD BIDDER 47 

Where Dealer Has Called 
One Spade: Second Hand Bidding. 

To Overcall with a Suit Second 

Hand’s No-Trump Declaration: 

“(Conv. 28) Third Hand Should Not Over¬ 
bid Second Hand’s No-Trump except 
with Strong Attacking Hand, Defended 
against Possible Double or Loss of Game 
Through Shift to a Winning Declaration 
by Opponent’s.” 

“(Conv. 29) Overcalling Second Hand’s No- 
Trump with no Higher Purpose in View 
than to Push the Bidding, or to Indicate 
a Suit, is Usually Both Dangerous and 
Stupid.” 

[For appended Notes, see pp. 33 - 39 .] 

To Overcall with Two No-Trump Second 

Hand’s No-Trump Declaration. 

“(Conv. 30) This is Never Advisable except 
with a Game Hand or where Game is in 
Danger.” 

[For appended Notes, see p. 30.] 


48 THIRD HAND (Y) OR THIRD BIDDER 


WHERE DEALER HAS CALLED 
TWO OR THREE SPADES. 

SECOND HAND PASSING. 

TO TAKE PARTNER OUT: 

35. A Player Must Never Leave His Partner in 
with either Two or Three Spades. If Trickless 
He Must Bid One Royal. 

Response to Two-Spade Call: 

(a) This call shows a supporting hand, with par¬ 
ticular reference to high cards in the Spade 
suit and invites a game declaration by partner 
— Royals or no-trump preferred. 

The better players have long appreciated the 
importance of doing away with all calls or 
bids susceptible of a double meaning, or whose 
ambiguity cloaks (or invites) a multitude of 
sins, and for this reason have strongly advo¬ 
cated the Two-Spade Convention as given on 
page 8. 

The now generally accepted meaning of a 
Two-Spade call (or the doubling of One 
Spade) is that the calling (or doubling) hand 
holds Two sure tricks in a short Spade suit, 
and one or more tricks in another (short) suit. 
Therefore when the calling (or doubling) 
hand observes the Convention outlined above, 


49 


THIRD HAND (Y) OR THIRD BIDDER 

Where Dealer Has Called 
Two or Three Spades: Second Hand Passing. 

his partner’s holding, combined with the pre¬ 
cise indication furnished, makes the partner’s 
declaration in response thereto a fairly ob¬ 
vious matter. 

Response to Three-Spade Call: 

(b) This call by Dealer shows a desire to play the 
hand with Royals as trump, provided Third 
Hand holds one or more of the top honors in 
Spades. 

Therefore, to take partner out with any one 
of the three other suits, shows a strong suit 
and denies the Spades. 

To take partner out with a no-trump shows, 
first of all, weakness in Spades, irrespective as 
to whether or not Third Hand can go game 
in no-trumps. The only exception would be 
where Third Hand holds ioo aces and sure 
game in hand. 

It may be noted that Third Hand is always 
justified in counting upon certain trick 
strength in Dealer’s hand other than in the 
Spade Suit. 

SECOND HAND DOUBLING. 

TO TAKE PARTNER OUT: 

36. Third Hand Here is Obliged to Take Partner 
Out of Double with the Best Declaration His 
Hand Admits. 


50 THIRD HAND (Y) OR THIRD BIDDER 

Where Dealer Has Called 

Two or Three Spades: Second Hand Doubling. 

This situation is too dangerous for Third Hand 
to pass, as he cannot be sure but that Fourth 
Hand will leave Dealer in the doubled Spades. 
A doubled One Spade can lose only ioo 
points, but there is no such limitation of loss 
when two or more Spades are declared. 
Therefore, Third Hand should reduce the con¬ 
tract by calling One in his best suit; or, if 
trickless, declare One Royal. 

Furthermore, it being plainly evident that Second 
Hand’s double was an invitation for a win¬ 
ning declaration by partner, Third Hand’s 
take-out, if a suit, will also serve to indicate a 
lead, in case Fourth Hand accepts the invita¬ 
tion. 

SECOND HAND OVERBIDDING 
WITH A SUIT. 

TO PASS OR OVERCALL: 

37. Inasmuch as Second Hand has Taken Dealer 
Out, Third Hand is no Longer under any Obli¬ 
gation to Make a Declaration not Warranted by 
His Holding. 

To Pass. 

If Third Hand cannot respond to his Part¬ 
ner’s call, he may at least be able to indicate 
lead, in case Fourth Hand is likely to de¬ 
clare a major suit or no-trump. 


THIRD HAND (Y) OR THIRD BIDDER 51 

Where Dealer Has Called 
Two or Three Spades: Second Hand Bidding Suit. 

To Overcall: 

Third Hand should have little difficulty in 
choosing a declaration (always provided he 
can make one) that will respond to his part¬ 
ner’s call. Tzvo Spades indicates two tricks 
in a short Spade suit, and one or more 
tricks in another suit. Furthermore, this 
bid informs him to a certainty that there are 
tzvo suits in zvlzich his partner does not pos¬ 
sess a trick, otherwise he would have de¬ 
clared no-trump. 

Three Spades shows Two or more outside 
tricks and no tricks in Spades, unless that 
suit be trump. Thus, holding the A K of 
Spades, or one of these honors, together 
with an outside trick, Third Hand should 
immediately respond to Partner’s invitation 
by overcalling the preceding declaration 
with Royals. 

SECOND HAND OVERBIDDING 
WITH NO-TRUMP. 

TO PASS OR OVERCALL: 

38. Third Hand’s Declaration Should be Governed 
Entirely by His Own Holding and the Informa- 
tory Nature of Partner’s Call. 

(a) In case Third Hand holds a no-trumper him¬ 
self, it would seem somewhat evident that 


52 THIRD HAND (Y) OR THIRD BIDDER 

Where Dealer Has Called Two or 

Three Spades: Second Hand Bidding No-Trump. 

Second Hand had no suit indication to give 
partner, and fearing a no-trumper by Third 
Hand, was attempting to block this declara¬ 
tion by bidding one himself. 

(b) If, however, Third Hand sees no possibility 
for game at any declaration, he may as well 
leave the no-trumper in. There would be no 
sense in courting a loss except where the pros¬ 
pective gain would probably exceed the possi¬ 
ble loss on the declaration. 

[See Special Article on “ Defensive and 
Offensive Tactics,” p. 152 .] 


WHERE DEALER HAS DECLARED 
ONE IN A MINOR SUIT. 

SECOND HAND PASSING. 

TO RAISE PARTNER’S DECLARATION: 

39. Where the Hand Strongly Supports Partner’s 
Declaration, Both in the Trump Suit and Other¬ 
wise, Third Hand Should Raise the Bid, even 
Though Second Hand has Passed. 

This raising bid clearly indicates preference to 
play the hand with partner’s suit as trumps 
and denies holding any one of the Three 
game-going declarations. 



THIRD HAND (Y) OR THIRD BIDDER 53 

Where Dealer Has Declared 
One in Minor Suit: Second Hand Passing. 

Therefore, partner is informed not to change the 
declaration unless his hand contains other 
strength not indicated by his original call. 

TO TAKE PARTNER OUT WITH THE 
OTHER MINOR SUIT. 

40. Denies Support for Partner’s Suit, or It Indi¬ 
cates Suit Strength Greater than the Average 
Hand with which Dealer would Call One. 

(a) It shows a suit containing length as well as 
strength, in case partner’s call had been in- 
formatory only, and at the same time denies 
absolutely the ability or desire of Third Hand 
to call any one of the three game-going dec¬ 
larations. 

Therefore, unless the Dealer’s hand contains 
great length in the suit called (see Par. b, p. 
10 ) or he holds undeveloped strength in an¬ 
other suit, or suits, he had better leave Third 
Hand’s declaration alone. 

(b) Should Third Hand overcall Partner’s bid of 
One with a bid of Three, he shows a solid 
suit of six or more with no sure card of re¬ 
entry, otherwise he would have called no- 
trump. 


54 THIRD HAND (Y) OR THIRD BIDDER 

Where Dealer Has Declared 

One in Minor Suit: Second Hand Passing. 

TO TAKE PARTNER OUT WITH 
HEARTS, ROYALS OR NO-TRUMP. 

41. A Game-Going Declaration Over Partner’s Call 
of Clubs or Diamonds does not Necessarily 
Deny Support in the Minor Suit.* 

Dealer’s call is usually an invitation for partner 
to make some winning declaration. There¬ 
fore, Third Hand should, whenever possible, 
accept such invitation, even though he 
strongly supports partner’s call. 

To Overbid with Hearts or Royals: 

(a) Where Third Hand takes the Dealer out of a 
minor suit with one of the major suits, the 
Dealer, having once bid his suit, must not bid 
it again merely to deny support for the higher 
call. 

(b) However, should the Dealer do so, he indicates 
a holding stronger than was revealed by his 
original bid and at the same time denies sup¬ 
port for Third Hand’s declaration. (See par. 
b, p. io.) 

To Overbid with No-Trump: 

(c) Should Third Hand’s bid be that of no-trump 
and Dealer thereupon rebid his minor suit, 

*The number of tricks bid originally (by partner) does 
not affect' or change the principles involved. 


THIRD HAND (Y) OR THIRD BIDDER 55 

Where Dealer Has Declared 
One in Minor Suit: Second Hand Passing. 

he indicates either game possibilities with the 
minor suit as trump, or that his suit is un¬ 
established and the hand otherwise contains 
no card of re-entry. (See par. b, p. 10 .) 

In this case Third Hand should not insist upon 
the no-trump without taking these elements 
into consideration. 

SECOND HAND DOUBLING. 

TO PASS, REDOUBLE, OR TAKE 
PARTNER OUT. 

42. Holding Strong Cards in the Three Other Suits, 
Redouble Rather than Take Partner Out.* 

To Redouble: 

A redouble will make each trick worth 24 or 
28 — more than twice That of any declara¬ 
tion Third Hand otherwise might call, to 
say nothing of the bonus, if successful, for 
making contract. Even though chicane in 
partner’s suit, tricks are tricks, whenever 
or however taken, irrespective of what is 
trump. 

To Pass or Take Partner Out. 

If unable, or unwilling, to redouble, but other¬ 
wise in doubt, pass first and consider later 

* The suit bid (by partner) or the number of tricks called 
therein, does not affect or change the principles involved. 


56 THIRD HAND (Y) OR THIRD BIDDER 

Where Dealer Has Declared One in 
Minor Suit: Second Hand Doubling. 

the advisability of making some weak dec¬ 
laration which, if made, would only be 
“ jumping out of the frying-pan into the 
fire.” 

Most doubles are either ill advised or merely 
informatory, and a player is seldom justi¬ 
fied in taking his partner out of a doubled 
declaration unless he would (or could) 
have done so, had partner not been doubled. 

Contemplated suit take-outs should possess a 
double qualification — immunity from being 
doubled and that of indicating the best 
opening attack in case Fourth Hand makes 
a game declaration. 

SECOND HAND OVERBIDDING 
WITH A SUIT. 


TO DOUBLE: 

To Double Opponent Who has Overbid 
with the Other Minor Suit. 

43. To Double Opponent Indicates Two, or More, 
Sure Tricks in Suit so Doubled, Denies (Prob¬ 
ably) High Honor or Honors in Partner’s Suit, 
Denies any Game Declaration in Hand, and 
Shows Lead Desired in Case Remaining Oppo¬ 
nent Shifts. 


THIRD HAND (Y) OR THIRD BIDDER 57 

Where Dealer Has Declared One in 
Minor Suit: Second Hand Bidding Suit. 

To Double Opponent Who has Overbid 
with a Major Suit: 

44. To Double Opponent Indicates Three or More 
Sure Tricks in Suit so Doubled, Denies (Prob¬ 
ably) High Honor or Honors in Partner’s Suit, 
Denies any Other Game Declaration in Hand 
and Shows Lead Desired, in Case Remaining 
Opponent Shifts. 


TO SUPPORT PARTNER OR SHIFT 
TO ANOTHER DECLARATION: 

45. Rarely Persist in a Minor Suit except to Go 
Game or Save Game. Shift to Some Winning 
Declaration Whenever Possible. 

(a) Unless able to go game there is little to be 
gained by attempting to capture the declara¬ 
tion with a minor suit as trump. However, 
it is not well to allow Opponents to win the 
declaration too cheaply; therefore, “ pushing ” 
tactics are to be commended, but not beyond 
ability to make contract if left in, especially 
where game is in no great danger. 

[See Special Article on “ Defensive and 
Offensive Tactics,” p. 152.] 


58 THIRD HAND (Y) OR THIRD BIDDER 

Where Dealer Has Declared One in 
Minor Suit: Second Hand Bidding Suit. 

To Support Partner’s Declaration on 
the First Round of Bidding: * 

“(Conv. No. 58) Player Should Hold One 
(Probable) Trick in Trumps and Two 
Outside Tricks, or at Least Two Cards of 
the Trump Suit, and Three Outside 
Tricks. Only Aces and Kings are Con¬ 
sidered as (Outside) Tricks.” 

[It is not so important to support a Part¬ 
ner’s minor suit declaration as it would 
be if the suit were either Hearts or 
Royals. Therefore, the matter relating 
to support is given under “ Where Dealer 
has Declared One in a Major Suit.” 
(See Convention 58, p. 70).] 

Great care must be exercised in supporting a 
minor suit. The call may have been in- 
formatory only and from a short suit; fur¬ 
thermore, there is no indication of side 
strength, otherwise the Dealer would have 
bid no-trump. 

To Shift to Another Declaration: 

Should Third Hand, instead of supporting 
Dealer’s minor suit, shift and overcall Sec¬ 
ond Hand with the other minor suit, or with 
a major suit, or with no-trump, such shift 
is a “ take-out ” and its meaning as such is 

* To support Partner’s declaration on the second round of 
bidding (and not on the first), see Convention No. 90, p. 119 
and its appended notes. 


THIRD HAND (Y) OR THIRD BIDDER 59 

Where Dealer Has Declared One in 
Minor Suit: Second Hand Bidding Suit. 

not affected by the intervening bid of Sec¬ 
ond Hand. Therefore 

To Take Partner Out of a Minor Suit 
with the Other Minor Suit: 

“(Conv. No. 40) Denies Support for Part¬ 
ner’s Suit, or it Indicates Suit Strength 
Greater than the Average Hand with 
which Dealer would Call One.” 

[For appended Notes, see p. 53 .] 

To Take Partner Out of a Minor Suit 
with Hearts, Royals or No-Trump: 

“(Conv. No. 41) A Game Going Declara¬ 
tion Over Partner’s Call of Clubs or Dia¬ 
monds does not Necessarily Deny Support 
in the Minor Suit.” 

[For appended Notes, see p. 54.] 

SECOND HAND OVERBIDDING 
WITH NO-TRUMP. 

TO SUPPORT PARTNER, OR SHIFT 
TO ANOTHER DECLARATION. 

46. Partner Having Shown His Suit, Third Hand 
is Free to Overcall the No-Trumper or Pass, 
Depending upon His Own Holding and Part¬ 
ner’s Indicated Strength.* 

* The suit bid (by partner) or the number of tricks called 
therein, does not affect or change the principles involved. 


Go THIRD HAND (Y) OR THIRD BIDDER 

Where Dealer Has Declared One in 

Minor Suit: Second Hand Bidding No-Trump. 

[It is important that players should note 
that here the partner has already indi¬ 
cated both the lead and the approximate 
trick value of his hand. 

Were partner yet to speak, a player would 
not be justified in overcalling a no- 
trumper with less than six or seven 
tricks in hand and defended against loss 
of game through shift in the declaration. 
(See Convention No. 28, p. 33.] 

Unless there exists a strong probability of 
Going Game, particularly in a major suit, 
Third Hand should not push the bidding be¬ 
yond ability to make contract, nor attempt to 
capture the declaration at the risk of certain 
loss if left in, unless game is in danger. 

[See Special Article on “ Defensive and 
Offensive Tactics,” p. 152.] 

Third Hand, here, must take into considera¬ 
tion that, should he support Dealer’s decla¬ 
ration in a minor suit or overcall the no- 
trumper with the other minor suit, he denies 
both major suits and allows his opponents to 
infer that they have between them a strong 
major suit declaration which they will im¬ 
mediately arrive at by such inference. 
Therefore, unless Third Hand has a strong 
major suit declaration in hand, it is much 
better for him to say nothing and refrain 
from furnishing grounds for further infer¬ 


ences. 


THIRD HAND (Y) OR THIRD BIDDER 


61 


WHERE DEALER HAS CALLED 
TWO (OR MORE) IN A 
MINOR SUIT. 

SECOND HAND PASSING. 

TO RAISE PARTNER’S DECLARATION. 

47. Where the Hand Strongly Supports Partner’s 
Declaration, Both in the Trump Suit and Other¬ 
wise, Third Hand Should Raise the Bid, even 
Though Second Hand has Passed. 

This raising bid clearly indicates preference to 
play the hand with partner’s suit as trump. 
It also denies holding any one of the three 
winning declarations, or it indicates game pos¬ 
sibilities in the trump named. 

TO TAKE PARTNER OUT WITH THE 
OTHER MINOR SUIT. 

48. Denies Partner’s Suit, and Shows a Suit as 
Strong, or Stronger, than a Dealer’s Two Trick 
Call. 

Such Declaration absolutely denies the ability or 
desire of Third Hand to call any one of the 
three game-going declarations. 


62 THIRD HAND (Y) OR THIRD BIDDER 

Where Dealer Has Called Two or 

More in Minor Suit: Second Hand Passing. 

TO TAKE PARTNER OUT WITH 
HEARTS, ROYALS OR NO-TRUMP. 

“(Conv. 41) A Game-Going Declaration 
over Partner’s Bid of Clubs or Diamonds 
does not Necessarily Deny Support in 
the Losing Suit.” 

To Overbid with a Major Suit: 

Where Third Hand takes the Dealer out of 
a minor suit with a major suit, the Dealer 
having once bid his hand, must not rebid it, 
except to show greater strength than was 
indicated by his previous declaration, and 
not then, unless void of partner’s suit. 

To Overbid with No-Trump: 

Should Third Hand’s bid be that of no-trump, 
the Dealer must not rebid the minor suit 
unless his original bid was false or that he 
has game possibilities in hand with the 
minor suit as trump. 

SECOND HAND DOUBLING. 

TO PASS, REDOUBLE, OR TAKE 
PARTNER OUT: 

“(Conv. No. 42) Holding Strong Cards in 
the Three Other Suits, Redouble Rather 
than Take Partner Out.” 


THIRD HAND (Y) OR THIRD BIDDER 63 

Where Dealer Has Called Two or 
More in Minor Suit: Second Hand Doubling. 

[The number of tricks bid originally does 
not affect or change the principles in¬ 
volved. See Convention p. 55.] 

SECOND HAND OVERBIDDING 
WITH A SUIT. 


TO DOUBLE: 

49. Indicates that the Doubler, Aided by Partner, 
is Assured of Scoring Heavy Penalties against 
Opponent’s Declaration. 

This double should rarely be made unless the 
doubling hand is prepared to double any other 
declaration the Opponents may shift to. 

TO SUPPORT PARTNER OR SHIFT TO 
ANOTHER DECLARATION. 

To Support Partner’s Declaration on 
the First Round of Bidding: 

50. Only Average Assistance (Two Tricks) is Here 
Required. 

Partner’s declaration shows control of suit named, 
and at least six tricks in hand; therefore, out¬ 
side tricks, not trumps, are required for sup¬ 
port. 

To Shift to another Declaration: 

Should Third Hand, instead of supporting Deal¬ 
er’s minor suit, shift and overcall Second 


64 THIRD HAND (Y) OR THIRD BIDDER 

Where Dealer Has Called Two or 

More in Minor Suit: Second Hand Bidding Suit. 

Hand with the other minor suit, or with a 
major suit, or with no-trump, such shift is a 
“ take-out ” and its meaning as such is not 
affected by the intervening bid of Second 
Hand. Therefore: 

“ To Take Partner Out with the 
other Minor Suit.” 

“(Conv. No. 48) Denies Partner’s Suit, and 
Shows a Suit as Strong, or Stronger, than 
a Dealer’s Two Trick Call.” 

[For appended Notes, see p. 61.] 

To Take Partner Out with Hearts, 

Royals or No-Trump. 

“(Conv. No. 41) A Game-Going Declara¬ 
tion over Partner’s Bid of Clubs or Dia¬ 
monds, does not Necessarily Deny Sup¬ 
port in the Minor Suit.” 

[For appended Notes, see p. 54.] 

SECOND HAND OVERBIDDING 
WITH NO-TRUMP. 

TO SUPPORT PARTNER OR SHIFT TO 

ANOTHER DECLARATION: 

“(Conv. No. 46) Partner Having Shown 
His Suit, Third Hand is Free to Overcall 
the No-Trumper or Pass, Depending upon 


THIRD HAND (Y) OR THIRD BIDDER 65 

Where Dealer Has Called Two or 
More in Minor Suit: Second Hand Bidding No-Trump. 

His Own Holding and Partner’s Indi¬ 
cated Strength.” 

[The number of tricks bid originally does 
not affect or change the principles in¬ 
volved. Therefore, the Convention 
above quoted, together with its appended 
Notes (p. 59), treat fully upon the sub¬ 
ject.] 


WHERE DEALER HAS DECLARED 
ONE IN A MAJOR SUIT. 

SECOND HAND PASSING. 

TO RAISE PARTNER’S DECLARATION: 

51. Holding One or More Honors in Partner’s Suit, 
Together with Outside Strength, Raise His Bid, 
even Though the Intervening Opponent has 
Passed.* 

(a) Such holding presumes a decided preference 
to have the combined hands played with the 
suit named as trump; therefore, an encour¬ 
aging bid of this description precludes all pos¬ 
sibility of partner changing his declaration in 
case the opponents should bid. 

* The number of tricks bid originally (by partner) does not 
affect or change the principles involved. 



66 THIRD HAND (Y) OR THIRD BIDDER 

Where Dealer Has Declared One in 

Major Suit: Second Hand Passing. 

TO TAKE PARTNER OUT WITH 
CLUBS OR DIAMONDS: 

52. Denies Partner’s Suit and Shows at Least Aver¬ 
age Strength in the Minor Suit Named, but a 
Hand Otherwise too Weak to Risk a No-Trump. 

(a) Taking out a bid of One in a major suit with 
a minor suit, should show a strong suit and 
at the same time warn partner that the com¬ 
bined hands do not admit of being played suc¬ 
cessfully in partner’s declaration, unless it is 
one of more than ordinary strength. 

(b) It is folly to take partner out of a major suit 
in order to deny it, except with a sound dec¬ 
laration ; for, should partner continue with his 
suit, or double the opponents, he counts upon 
Two sure tricks in the suit that took him out. 

(c) Holding supporting cards in partner’s suit, it 
is the reverse of good bidding to call a minor 
suit, no matter its strength, under the mis¬ 
taken idea that such suit should be shown. 
To do so is a conventional denial of support. 
Instead of encouraging, it discourages a part¬ 
ner with the result that the lower and less 
advantageous declaration may be left in. 


THIRD HAND (Y) OR THIRD BIDDER 67 

Where Dealer Has Declared One in 
Major Suit: Second Hand Passing. 

TO TAKE PARTNER OUT WITH THE 
OTHER MAJOR SUIT: 

53. Denies Partner’s Suit; or, it Indicates Suit 
Strength Greater than the Average Hand with 
which Dealer would Bid One.* 

(a) It is seldom necessary or advisable to take 
partner out of a major suit in order to show 
some other suit or for any purpose other than 
to deny partner’s suit. 

Presuming Dealer to have declared Hearts and 
Third Hand holds, say, ¥ 0 x x, A K Q x, 
♦ xx, A A K J x x, to overcall partner’s 
suit with a Royal serves no good purpose for, 
with nothing marked on score, Royals are no 
better for game than Hearts. 

Instances wherein Royals, being worth more 
than Hearts, affecting the final score, would 
be too rare to deserve consideration. It may, 
however, happen that Third Hand’s holding 
is such, i. e., ¥ Q x x, A K J x, ♦ K x, A 
A K J x x, as to make it advisable to capture 
the declaration in order that these cards may 
be led up to, and not through. 

In sum: Unless there exists some equally 
good reason, such as holding four or five hon¬ 
ors in the same hand or a suit of great length 

* The number of tricks bid originally (by partner) does not 
affect or change the principles involved. 


68 THIRD HAND (Y) OR THIRD BIDDER 

Where Dealer Has Declared One in 

Major Suit: Second Hand Passing. 

and strength, to take partner out of a game 
declaration when holding good support there¬ 
for, is not only destructive to confidence be¬ 
tween partners, but discourteous as well. 

TO TAKE PARTNER OUT WITH 
NO-TRUMP: 

54. Denies Partner’s Suit but Indicates More or 
Less Strength in the Three Other Suits. 

(a) Where Third Hand holds but one or two un¬ 
important cards of Dealer’s suit, but other¬ 
wise a strong hand, he should deny his part¬ 
ner’s suit by bidding no-trump. 

(b) It may be assumed by original declarer that 
where a partner takes out a bid of Hearts or 
Royals, he either denies the suit or holds ioo 
aces. 

SECOND HAND DOUBLING. 

TO PASS, REDOUBLE, OR TAKE 
PARTNER OUT: 

55. Holding Strong Cards in the Three Other Suits, 
Redouble Rather than Take Partner Out.* 

* The suit bid (by partner) or the number of tricks called 

therein, does not change the principles involved. 


THIRD HAND (Y) OR THIRD BIDDER 69 

Where Dealer Has Declared One in 
Major Suit: Second Hand Doubling. 

To Redouble: 

Makes each trick worth 32 or 36 — more than 
three times the value of any declaration 
Third Hand otherwise might call, to say 
nothing of the bonus, if successful, for mak¬ 
ing contract. 

Even though chicane in partner’s suit, tricks 
are tricks, whenever and however taken, 
irrespective of the trump, and but one odd 
is necessary for game. 

To Pass or Take Partner Out: 

If unable, or unwilling to redouble, but other¬ 
wise in doubt, pass first and consider later 
the advisability of making some weak dec¬ 
laration which, if made, would only be 
“ jumping out of the frying-pan into the 
fire.” 

Most doubles are either ill-advised or merely 
informatory, and a player is seldom justified 
in taking his partner out of a doubled dec¬ 
laration unless he would (or could) have 
done so had partner not been doubled. 

Contemplated suit take-outs should possess a 
double qualification — immunity from being 
in turn doubled and that of indicating the 
best opening attack in case Fourth Hand 
makes a game declaration. 


70 


THIRD HAND (Y) OR THIRD BIDDER 


Where Dealer Has Declared One in 
Major Suit: Second Hand Bidding Suit. 

SECOND HAND OVERBIDDING 
WITH A SUIT. 


TO DOUBLE: 

To Double Opponent who has Overcalled 
with a Minor Suit: 

56. Indicates Two or More Sure Tricks in Suit so 
Doubled, Denies Partner’s Suit, Denies any 
Declaration in Hand and Shows Lead Desired, 
in Case Remaining Opponent Shifts. 

To Double Opponent who has Overcalled 
with the other Major Suit: 

57. Indicates Three or More Sure Tricks in Suit so 
doubled, Denies Partner’s Suit, Denies any 
Other Game Declaration in Hand and Shows 
Lead Desired, in Case Remaining Opponent 
Shifts. 

TO SUPPORT PARTNER OR SHIFT 
TO ANOTHER DECLARATION. 

To Support Partner’s Declaration on 
the First Round of Bidding:* 

58. Player should Hold One (Probable) Trick in 
Trumps and Two Outside Tricks, or at Least 
Two Cards of the Trump Suit and Three Out- 

* To support partner’s declaration on the Second Round of 
bidding (and not on the first), see Convention No. 90, p. 119. 


THIRD HAND (Y) OR THIRD BIDDER 71 

Where Dealer Has Declared One in 
Major Suit: Second Hand Bidding Suit. 

side Tricks. Only Aces and Kings are Consid¬ 
ered as (Outside) Tricks. 

(a) This is always provided that Dealer has started 
with a bid of One, in which case Third Hand 
must consider that the Dealer, in bidding One, 
has agreed to take Seven Tricks, not one. As 
it is improbable that the Dealer has Seven 
tricks in hand, it follows that in so bidding, 
Dealer is counting not only upon his own 
hand, but upon partner’s and the play of the 
hand as well. 

The Conventional requirement for an original 
bid of One in a major suit, is Three tricks. 
Add to these three tricks two more (small 
trumps), in case the hand be played, and the 
Declarer is still two tricks shy of the one odd 
bid for. 

(b) All declarations are predicated upon the as¬ 
sumption, unconscious or otherwise, that part¬ 
ner (unless he has already passed) will 
account for at least Tzvo tricks; therefore, 
partner, with the possibility of but One or 
Two tricks in hand, is not justified in raising 
the bid, but must consider that the value of 
his hand has already been included in his part¬ 
ner’s bid. 

(c) A partner should be careful not to under¬ 
estimate the enormous value of a ruff, espe- 


72 THIRD HAND (Y) OR THIRD BIDDER 

Where Dealer Has Declared One in 
Major Suit: Second Hand Bidding Suit. 

dally in the opponent’s suit — his few little 
trumps here assume the importance of aces 
and kings. Ordinarily, however, mere trump 
length, lacking master cards in the other suits, 
is poor support, except when the distribution 
of cards promises the establishment of a cross 
ruff. 

(d) It should be noted that although a partner’s 
bid of Two may be supported with much less 
than is required to support a bid of One, this 
would not be true if partner was forced to bid 
the two, in order to overcall a previous dec¬ 
laration. 

To Shift to Another 
Declaration: 

Should Third Hand, instead of supporting 
Dealer’s major suit, shift, and overcall Sec¬ 
ond Hand with a minor suit or with the 
other major suit or with no-trump, such 
shift is a “ take-out ” and its meaning as 
such is not affected by the intervening bid 
of Second Hand. 

“ To Take Partner Out with 
a Minor Suit: 

“(Conv. No. 52) Denies Partner’s Suit and 
Shows at Least Average Strength in 


THIRD HAND (Y) OR THIRD BIDDER 73 

Where Dealer Has Declared One in 
Major Suit: Second Hand Bidding Suit. 

Minor Suit Named, but a Hand Otherwise 
too Weak to Risk a No-Trump.” 

[For appended Notes, see p. 66 .] 

“To Take Partner Out with 
the other Major Suit: 

“(Conv. No. 53) Denies Support for Part¬ 
ner’s Suit; or, it Indicates Suit Strength 
Greater than the Average Hand with 
which Dealer would Bid One.” 

[For appended Notes, see p. 67 .] 

“ To Take Partner Out 
with No-Trump: 

“(Conv. No. 54) Denies the Partner’s Suit 
but Indicates More or Less Strength in 
the Three Other Suits.” 

[For appended Notes, see p. 68 .] 

SECOND HAND OVERBIDDING 
WITH NO-TRUMP. 

TO SUPPORT PARTNER OR SHIFT 

TO ANOTHER DECLARATION: 

“(Conv. No. 46) Partner Having Shown 
His Suit, Third Hand is Free to Overcall 
the No-Trumper or Pass, Depending upon 
His Own Holding and Partner’s Indicated 
Strength.” 


74 THIRD HAND (Y) OR THIRD BIDDER 

Where Dealer Has Declared One in 

Major Suit: Second Hand Bidding No-Trump. 

[The Convention above quoted together 
with its appended Notes (p. 59) treat 
fully upon the subject.] 


WHERE DEALER HAS DECLARED 
TWO OR MORE IN A 
MAJOR SUIT. 

SECOND HAND PASSING. 

TO RAISE PARTNER’S DECLARATION: 

“(Conv. No. 51) Holding One or More 
Honors in Partner’s Suit, Together with 
Outside Strength, Raise His Bid, even 
Though the Intervening Opponent has 
Passed.” 

[The number of tricks bid originally does 
not affect or change the principles in¬ 
volved. Therefore, the Convention 
above quoted, together with its appended 
Notes (p. 65), treat fully upon the sub¬ 
ject.] 

TO TAKE PARTNER OUT WITH 
CLUBS OR DIAMONDS: 

59. Denies Absolutely Partner’s Suit and Shows 
either a Long Established Suit, Inviting No- 
Trump by Partner, or Game in Hand with the 
Minor Suit as Trump. 



THIRD HAND (Y) OR THIRD BIDDER 75 

Where Dealer Has Declared Two or 
More in Major Suit: Second Hand Passing. 

Third Hand is never justified in overcalling part¬ 
ner’s high call in a major suit with a minor 
suit, no matter its length and strength, merely 
in order to deny partner’s suit, unless such 
procedure is calculated to make sure of going 
game. 

TO TAKE PARTNER OUT WITH 
THE OTHER MAJOR SUIT: 

60. Denies Absolutely Partner’s Suit, and Shows a 
Suit Probably Longer and Stronger than that 
Indicated by Partner’s Call. 

If Dealer bids Two Royals, and Third Hand 
holds, say, V A K Q J x, * K x x, ♦ Q J x, 
A K x, the strength or honors in Hearts is no 
justification for a bid of Three, over Partner’s 
Royals. 

However, should Third Hand hold, say, ¥ A K 
Q x x x x, the extreme length of suit would 
justify raising the bid once to show this hold¬ 
ing. 

TO TAKE PARTNER OUT WITH 
NO-TRUMP 

61. Shows Usually 100 Aces or Denies Partner’s 
Suit but Shows Double Stops in the Others. 

Dealer is quite free, however, to rebid his suit, 
depending upon its length and strength, to- 


76 THIRD HAND (Y) OR THIRD BIDDER 

Where Dealer Has Declared Two or 
More in Major Suit: Second Hand Passing. 

gether with the character of the supporting 
hand and the positive assurance of thereby 
going game. 


SECOND HAND DOUBLING. 

TO PASS, REDOUBLE OR TAKE 
PARTNER OUT: 

‘‘(Conv. No. 55) Holding Strong Cards in 
the Three Other Suits, Redouble Rather 
than Take Partner Out.” 

[The number of tricks bid originally does 
not affect or change the principles in¬ 
volved. Therefore, the Convention 
above quoted, together with its appended 
Notes (p. 68), treat fully upon the sub¬ 
ject.] 

SECOND HAND OVERBIDDING 
WITH A SUIT. 


TO DOUBLE: 

[See Convention 49, p. 63.] 

TO SUPPORT PARTNER OR SHIFT 
TO ANOTHER DECLARATION. 

To Support Partner’s Declaration: 

‘‘(Conv. No. 50) Only Average Assistance 
(Two Tricks) is Here Required.” 


THIRD HAND (Y) OR THIRD BIDDER 77 

Where Dealer Has Declared Two or 
More in Major Suit: Second Hand Bidding Suit. 

Partner’s declaration shows control of 
suit named, and at least six tricks in 
hand; therefore, outside tricks, not 
trumps, are required for support. 

To Shift to Another Declaration: 

Should Third Hand instead of supporting 
partner’s major suit, shift or overcall Sec¬ 
ond Hand with a minor suit, or with the 
other major suit, or with no-trump, such 
shift is a “ take-out,” and its meaning is not 
affected by the intervening bid of Second 
Hand. Therefore: 

To Take Partner Out with 
Clubs or Diamonds: 

"(Conv. No. 59) Denies Absolutely Part¬ 
ner’s Suit and Shows either a Long 
Established Suit, Inviting No-Trump by 
Partner, or Game in Hand with the Minor 
Suit as Trump.” 

[For appended Notes, see p. 74.] 

To Take Partner Out with 
the Other Major Suit: 

“(Conv. No. 60) Denies Absolutely Part¬ 
ner’s Suit, and Shows a Suit Probably 
Longer and Stronger than that Indicated 
by Partner’s Call.” 

[For appended Notes, see p. 75.] 


78 THIRD HAND (Y) OR THIRD BIDDER 

Where Dealer Has Declared Two cr 

More in Major Suit: Second Hand Bidding Suit. 

To Take Partner Out with 

No-Trump: 

“(Conv. No. 61) Shows Usually 100 Aces 
or Denies Partner’s Suit, but Shows Dou¬ 
ble Stops in the Others.” 

[For appended Notes, see p. 75.] 

SECOND HAND OVERBIDDING 
WITH NO-TRUMP. 

TO SUPPORT PARTNER OR SHIFT 
TO ANOTHER DECLARATION: 

“(Conv. No. 46) Partner Having Shown 
His Suit, Third Hand is Free to Overcall 
the No-Trumper, or Pass, Depending 
upon His Own Holding and Partner’s In¬ 
dicated Strength.” 

[The number of tricks bid originally does 
not affect or change the principles in¬ 
volved. Therefore, the Convention 
above quoted, together with its appended 
Notes (p. 59), treat fully upon the sub- 
ject.] 


THIRD HAND (Y) OR THIRD BIDDER 


79 


WHERE DEALER HAS DECLARED 
ONE NO-TRUMP. 

SECOND HAND PASSING. 

TO RAISE PARTNER’S DECLARATION: 

62. Holding Excellent Support for Partner’s No- 
Trump, Especially in the Minor Suits, Raise His 
Bid even Though the Intervening Opponent has 
Passed. 

(a) Thus, the player on the left is placed in an 
embarrassing position should he feel inclined 
to bid or indicate a lead; in addition, part¬ 
ner is immediately advised of a certain force 
in the assisting hand and may with confidence 
overbid or double any bid of the opponent. 

(b) With a long established minor suit, or a strong 
unestablished one with cards of re-entry, it is 
good policy to emphasize a preference for no- 
trump by raising partner’s declaration of One, 
to Two. 

TO TAKE PARTNER OUT WITH 
CLUBS OR DIAMONDS. 

63. A Bid of Clubs or Diamonds over Partner’s No-¬ 
Trump Denies Support for His Declaration. 

Such a bid is almost without exception a declara¬ 
tion of weakness, and should be declared, if 


80 THIRD HAND (Y) OR THIRD BIDDER 

Where Dealer Has Declared 

One No-Trump: Second Hand Passing. 

at all, only with a long suit lacking the ace or 
the ace-king, with no cards of re-entry. The 
partner will understand that there is no sup¬ 
port for his no-trump except an unestablished 
suit of doubtful value. 

[A strong, but unestablished minor suit 
with cards of re-entry, or an estab¬ 
lished minor suit, should never be bid 
over Partner’s no-trumper, except to 
the score.] 

TO TAKE PARTNER OUT WITH 
HEARTS OR ROYALS. 

64. The Player should Always Take His Partner 
Out of a No-Trump if He Holds Five or More 
Good Hearts or Royals. 

(a) To bid Hearts or Royals over the Partner’s 
no-trump, shows strong probability that the 
declaration will go game; or, that the hand 
is extremely weak outside the suit named. 
Such bid is wholly conventional and operates 
in allowing partner to select the more advan¬ 
tageous declaration. 

(b) Should the partner overbid with Two no- 
trump, he thereby denies support in the suit 
called. In this event the suit declaration must 
not be persisted in unless the character of the 
hand admits of nothing else and is strong 
enough to make the increased contract, or 


THIRD HAND (Y) OR THIRD BIDDER 81 

Where Dealer Has Declared 
One No-Trump: Second Hand Passing. 

at least would lose less tricks than a no- 
trumper. 

(c) Three tricks, not two, should be bid when 
necessary, to emphasize great length, in a 
Heart or Royal, such as ¥ KQioxxxx 
or A A Q io x x x; or, where the character 
of the hand, such as A K Q J io x x, ♦ K 
iox; * AJ io x, V — suggests the advisa¬ 
bility of playing the hand in a trump make. 
(See also “ Persisting in a Major Suit,” 
P- 123.) 

SECOND HAND DOUBLING. 

TO PASS OR SHIFT TO ANOTHER 
DECLARATION: 

65. Should Opponent Double Partner’s No-Trump, 
There is no Obligation to Take Partner Out 
except with a Powerful Suit and Game Possi¬ 
bilities in Hand. 

(a) The greater the all around strength of Third 
Hand, the less he should consider it necessary 
to disturb the double. 

(b) Third Hand should declare his hand (or not) 
irrespective of the double, inasmuch as the 
obligation of taking the double out devolves 
upon partner of doubler. 


82 THIRD HAND (Y) OR THIRD BIDDER 

Where Dealer Has Declared 

One No-Trump: Second Hand Doubling. 

SECOND HAND OVERBIDDING 
WITH A SUIT. 


TO DOUBLE: 

66. Holding Two or More Sure Tricks in Oppo¬ 
nent’s Suit, Double the Opponent Rather than 

Bid Two No-Trump. 

When to Double: 

(a) Should partner call no-trump, the following 
Opponent overcall, say, with Two Hearts and 
the no-trumper’s partner hold a hand of this 
order, i. e., V I( J x; •¥* A Q x; ♦ x x x; 
A K io x x, he should double the Two Hearts 
and thus place the no-trumper in the happy 
position of being allowed to play what better 
suits his hand. 

Another very important feature of this double 
is that it blocks Opponent in case his real 
strength happens to be the suit in which you 
have no protection. 

[See Note h, Illustration No. 3, p. 38.] 

When Not to Double: 

(b) This Convention is very useful, but it is ex¬ 
tremely dangerous where there is no strength 
except in the suit which is doubled, i. e., V 
KJx; *Qxx;4 Jxx; A ioxxx. With 
this holding the no-trumper’s partner should 
pass and allow the no-trumper an opportunity 


THIRD HAND (Y) OR THIRD BIDDER 83 

Where Dealer Has Declared 
One No-Trump: Second Hand Bidding Suit. 

to show whether he has sufficient strength to 
make it worth while to persist in the no- 
trump. Should the no-trumper overcall the 
Two Hearts with Three Clubs or Three Dia¬ 
monds, the Partner, with a double stop in 
Hearts, is now thoroughly justified in putting 
him back into no-trump. 

(c) There is still another holding, where a Double 
Stop in Opponent’s suit will not always, justify 
a double, and that is where the no-trumper’s 
partner holds a very long and strong minor 
suit, such as V K J x;* A Q J ioxx; ♦ 
Q x x 4k x : this suit may be ruffed on the 
first round. Therefore, it is better to go Two 
no-trump than to play for small penalties, or 
to risk a double which might allow the ad¬ 
versaries to go game. 

TO SUPPORT PARTNER OR SHIFT 
TO ANOTHER DECLARATION. 

To Support Partner’s Declaration 

with a Single Stop in Opponent’s Suit: 

67. Player should Hold at Least One Sure Trick in 
Opponent’s Suit, Together with Strong All 
Around Hand; or, with Powerful Minor Suit 
either Established, or with Card or Cards of 
Re-entry, which will Insure its Being Made, 
when Established.” 


84 THIRD HAND (Y) OR THIRD BIDDER 

Where Dealer Has Declared 

One No-Trump: Second Hand Bidding Suit. 

(a) Players must exercise extreme caution in sup¬ 
porting original declarations of no-trump, 
especially when the opposition arises in the 
hand of the Second Bidder. It must be rec¬ 
ognized that opposition from this quarter is 
not in the nature of an indication, but is, or 
should be a bona fide declaration, backed up 
with strong support; therefore, unless the 
supporting hand be exceptionally strong in 
the other suits, a single defense in opponent's 
suit is no warrant for insisting on no-trump. 

(b) Most players have an entirely wrong concep¬ 
tion of the true character of a no-trumper. 
Primarily, it is a complete reversal of the 
ordinary methods of bidding, inasmuch as 
here a general supporting hand is bid first, 
inviting, not support, but any sound declara¬ 
tion partner may have, preferably Hearts, 
Royals or no-trump. 

To support a supporting hand is manifestly 
absurd, and with but a single stop in oppo¬ 
nent’s suit and a hand of otherwise doubtful 
value, Third Hand (or Third Bidder) must 
pass, for, whatever the real nature of the no- 
trumper, it is clearly not within the province 
of Third Hand (no-trumper’s partner) to in¬ 
sist that the hand shall be played as such, 
unless holding a no-trumper himself. 


THIRD HAND (Y) OR THIRD BIDDER 85 

Where Dealer Has Declared 
One No-Trump: Second Hand Bidding Suit. 

Lacking a declaration, Third Hand, notwith¬ 
standing his stop in opponent’s suit, should 
pass the first round so as not to interfere with 
the natural course of bidding, and allow the 
no-trumper to develop his real strength (if 
any). An added indication will clearly 
demonstrate what further action by Third 
Hand is necessary, if any. 

To Support Partner’s Declaration 

with a Double Stop in Opponent’s Suit: 

68. Holding Two Sure Tricks in Opponent’s Suit, 
Together with Great Strength and Length in 
a Minor Suit, Support Partner’s Declaration 
Rather than Double Opponent. 

Where the support is of a general nature and not 
massed in one suit, the better course of action 
is to double the opponent rather than bid Two 
no-trump. 

[The two alternatives are briefly treated 
under Convention No. 66, p. 82.] 

To Shift to Another 
Declaration. 

To Overcall with a Minor Suit: 

69. Shows Great Strength in the Suit and at the 
Same Time Denies Defense in Opponent’s Suit. 
It is also an Invitation for Partner to Continue 


86 THIRD HAND (Y) OR THIRD BIDDER 

Where Dealer Has Declared 

One No-Trump: Second Hand Bidding Suit. 

with His No-Trump should He Stop Opponent’s 
Suit. 

This is not the place for a declaration of weak¬ 
ness. Take care that the suit bid or the hand 
in general is of more than ordinary strength. 
This bid is one of encouragement, and the 
partner will continue his no-trump, should he 
be able to stop the opponent’s suit. 

To Overcall with a Major Suit: 

70. Shows a Strong Suit and has no Reference as 
to Whether or not the Hand Holds Defence in 
Opponent’s Suit. 

(a) It would be extremely unwise here to assume 
an expensive contract on a weak suit or hand, 
especially where the opposition to partner’s 
no-trumper arises in Second Hand. 

Second Hand tactics forbid overcalling a 
Dealer’s no-trump on anything less than game 
possibilities in his own hand. Therefore, un¬ 
less Second Hand is a player who overcalls a 
no-trump on any old thing, opposition from 
this quarter is a very serious matter. 


THIRD HAND (Y) OR THIRD BIDDER 87 

Where Dealer Has 
Declared One No-Trump. 

SECOND HAND OVERBIDDING 
WITH TWO NO-TRUMP. 

TO SUPPORT PARTNER OR SHIFT 
TO ANOTHER DECLARATION. 

71. Double if Possible, Rarely Overbid. 

(a) Stop to consider before overcalling opponent’s 
Two no-trump. A hand strong enough to 
take Nine tricks (with average assistance 
from Partner’s original no-trumper) can set 
any Two no-trump declaration for as much as 
the game would be worth. 

But the chances are all against being able to 
to take Three-odd tricks (much less four) 
against a declared Two no-trumper; there¬ 
fore, double or pass. 

(b) This is always provided there is no unusual 
disposition of the cards. Examine your cards 
carefully, if extremely weak in one or both of 
the minor suits and proportionately strong in 
one or both of the major suits, overbid in¬ 
stead of doubling, especially if your long suit 
is not solid, do not count upon your partner 
for the missing ace or king. The danger here 
is that Second Hand may have a solid minor 
suit of seven or eight cards together with 
your losing honor. 


FOURTH HAND (B) OR 
FOURTH BIDDER * 


WHERE DEALER HAS CALLED 
ONE SPADE. 

SECOND HAND PASSING; 

Third Hand Passing. 

TO PASS OR MAKE A DECLARATION: 

72. Fourth Hand should Leave Dealer in with One 
Spade, Unless His Hand is of Such Strength as 
to Offer Fair Prospect of Going Game. 

(a) Should Fourth Hand, under these conditions, 
hold but an average hand, it argues something 

* Being last to talk is manifestly an advantage. 
Nevertheless, before venturing upon a declaration that 
would violate good judgment even more than the Con¬ 
ventions, Fourth Hand should always recall that the 
basic principles of Auction are: Going game, saving 
game, or remunerative penalties. 

The Conventions appearing under Fourth Hand are 
more in the nature of an admonition than they are 
rules for definite procedure; therefore, familiarity with 
the practice of other positions is particularly necessary 
in all Fourth Hand declarations. 

88 



FOURTH HAND (B) OR FOURTH BIDDER 89 

Where Dealer Has 
Called One Spade. 

suspiciously unnatural in the bidding, unless 
it is quite apparent why the preceding players 
could (or would) not bid. 

(b) It frequently happens that the cards are so 
evenly distributed that for either side to make 
the odd trick in any declaration, would be 
doubtful. 

SECOND HAND PASSING; 

Third Hand Bidding. 

TO DOUBLE OR OVERCALL: 

73. Partner Having Shown Weakness, Fourth Hand 
is Seldom Justified in Making any Declaration 
except for the Purpose of Going Game; or for 
the Purpose of Indicating a Lead, should Third 
Hand’s Declaration, Directly or Indirectly, In¬ 
vite a “ Take-Out ” by the Dealer. 

(a) Fourth Hand, by virtue of Dealer and Second 
Hand both passing and Third Hand making 
initial declaration, is now the Second Bidder 
and, therefore, should familiarize himself with 
Second Hand practice. 

(b) For the greater convenience of the reader, 
some of the Conventions and Notes of Second 
Hand are here appended, and reference thereto 
may aid Fourth Hand in his declarations, 


90 FOURTH HAND (B) OR FOURTH BIDDER 

Where Dealer Has 
Called One Spade. 

always remembering that the tzuo situations 
are not analogous, for the reason that Fourth 
Hand’s partner has already passed; whereas, 
in all Second Hand Conventions, the partner 
has yet to speak. 

(c) In quoting the Conventions and Notes, the 
positions of the players have been shifted; 
otherwise, they are the same. 

To Overcall with a Suit Third 
Hand’s Suit Declaration: 

“(Conv. 22) Indicates More the Ability of 
Overcaller to Make His Contract than it 
Does the Exact Strength of the Suit so 
Bid.” 

“ Where Third Hand has Called 
a Minor Suit.” 

[“ (e) Such call is usually an invitation 
for Dealer to make some game-going 
declaration, and it becomes the duty of 
Fourth Hand to indicate any good suit 
he may have, which, if led at once, may 
serve to save game, in case such invita¬ 
tion be accepted.”] 

<c Where Third Hand has Called 
a Major Suit.” 

[“ (f) Here, it is generally safe to assume 
that such declarations will not be mo¬ 
lested by Dealer, in which case there is 


FOURTH HAND (B) OR FOURTH BIDDER 91 

Where Dealer Has 
Called One Spade. 

no occasion for Fourth Hand to show 
his suit (if any) by bidding it.] 

[A possible exception to the foregoing 
would be where the intervening player’s 
holding in Opponent’s suit is of such 
character as would lead him to believe 
that it will be denied by bidder’s part¬ 
ner, in which case he must anticipate 
this action by indicating his suit (if 
any).] 

To Overcall with No-Trump Third 

Hand’s Suit Declaration: 

“(Conv. 23) Indicates a Strong Hand with 
Defense in Opponent’s Suit, Such as V 
AQx, * AKJxx, ♦ KQAAxx, 
or V J x, * x x, ♦ AKQJxxx, 
A A x,” 

or 

“(Conv. 24) Indicates a Fair Hand with at 
Least Double Defense in Opponent’s Suit, 
Such as V AJx; •?» QJx; ♦ Qxx; 
A A J 9 x; ” 

or 

“(Conv. 25) Indicates an Exceptionally 
Strong Hand with no Defense in Oppo¬ 
nent’s Suit, nor Sufficient Length in a 
Major Suit to Risk its Declaration, Such 
as V A J 10. * A K J x, ♦ K Q J x, 
4* x x.’’ 

[For appended Notes, see pp. 29 - 30 .] 


92 FOURTH HAND (B) OR FOURTH BIDDER 

Where Dealer Has 
Called One Spade. 

To Overcall with a Suit Third 

Hand’s No-Trump Declaration: 

“(Conv. 28) Fourth Hand should not Over¬ 
bid Third Hand’s No-Trump except with 
Strong Attacking Hand, Defended against 
Possible Double or Loss of Game 
Through Shift to a Winning Declaration 
by Opponents.” 

“(Conv. 29) Overcalling Third Hand’s No- 
Trump with no Higher Purpose in View 
than to Push the Bidding, or to Indicate 
a Suit, is Usually Both Dangerous and 
Stupid.” 

[For appended Notes, see pp. 33 - 35 .] 

To Overcall with Two No-Trump 

Third Hand’s No-Trump Declaration. 

“(Conv. 30) This is Never Advisable ex¬ 
cept with a Game Hand or Where Game 
is in Danger.” 

[For appended Notes, see p. 39 .] 


FOURTH HAND (B) OR FOURTH BIDDER 93 

Where Dealer Has 
Called One Spade. 

SECOND HAND DOUBLING OR 
OVERCALLING WITH TWO 
OR THREE SPADES; 

Third Hand Passing. 

TO TAKE PARTNER OUT: 

74. Fourth Hand should not Leave Partner in with 
His Double of One Spade, nor with a Call of 
either Two or Three Spades. If Trickless He 
Must Bid One Royal. 

Response to a Doubled One 

Spade, or a Two Spade Call: 

This call shows a supporting hand with par¬ 
ticular reference to high cards in the Spade 
suit and invites a game declaration by part¬ 
ner — Royals or no-trump preferred. 

The better players have long appreciated the 
importance of doing away with all calls or 
bids susceptible of a double meaning, or 
whose ambiguity cloaks (or invites) a mul¬ 
titude of sins, and for this reason have 
strongly advocated the Two Spade Conven¬ 
tion, as given on page 8. 

The now generally accepted meaning of a 
Two Spade call (or the doubling of One 
Spade) is that the calling (or doubling) 
hand holds two sure tricks in a short Spade 


94 FOURTH HAND (B) OR FOURTH BIDDER 

Where Dealer Has 
Called One Spade. 

suit, and one or more tricks in another 
(short) suit. 

Therefore when the calling (or doubling) 
hand observes the Convention outlined 
above, his partner’s holding, combined with 
the precise indication furnished, makes the 
partner’s declaration in response thereto, a 
fairly obvious matter. 

Response to Three-Spade Call: 

This call by Second Hand shows a desire to 
play the hand with Royals as Trump, pro¬ 
vided Fourth Hand holds one or more of 
the top honors in Spades. 

Therefore, to take partner out with any one 
of the three other suits, shows a strong suit 
and denies the Spades. 

To take partner out with a no-trump shows, 
first of all, weakness in Spades irrespec¬ 
tive as to whether or not Fourth Hand 
can go game in no-trumps. The only ex¬ 
ception would be where Fourth Hand holds 
ioo aces and sure game in hand. 

It may be noted that Fourth Hand is always 
justified in counting upon certain trick 
strength in partner’s hand except in the 
Spade suit. 


FOURTH HAND (B) OR FOURTH BIDDER 95 

Where Dealer Has 
Called One Spade. 

SECOND HAND DOUBLING OR 
OVERCALLING WITH TWO 

OR THREE SPADES; 

Third Hand Bidding. 

TO PASS OR OVERCALL; 

75. Fourth Hand is under no Obligation to Respond 
to Partner’s Call or Make any Declaration Other % 
than would be Justified by His Own Holding 
and the Character of the Preceding Declaration. 

If Fourth Hand is unable to make a game 
declaration, he may at least be able to indi¬ 
cate a lead provided the nature of Third 
Hand’s declaration is one that Dealer is 
likely to take out. 

To Overcall a Suit: 

If, however, Fourth Hand’s cards warrant a 
declaratiop, then the indication by partner 
will serve as a safe guide thereto. 

[See also Notes to Conv. 37 , p. 50 .] 

To Overcall No-Trump: 

If Fourth Hand holds possibility for game in 
hand, Opponent’s no-trumper should be no 
serious obstacle. 

[See also Notes to Convention 38 , p. 51 .] 


9 6 FOURTH HAND (B) OR FOURTH BIDDER 

Where Dealer Has 

Called One Spade. 

SECOND HAND BIDDING; 

Third Hand Passing. 

TO RAISE OR TAKE PARTNER OUT: 

The Conventions here Governing Fourth Hand 

are Those of Third Hand. 

Fourth Hand’s position here is practically the 
same as that occupied by Third Hand, where 
the Dealer has made an offensive declara¬ 
tion which Second Hand has passed. 
Therefore, only the “ take-out ” or raising 
bids of Third Hand have any application. 

For the greater convenience of the Reader, 
these Conventions are herewith quoted, and 
follow in their order. In reading the notes 
referred to, and applying them to Fourth 
Hand, all that is necessary is to shift the 
position of the players. 

TO RAISE PARTNER’S DECLARATION: 

Of a Minor Suit; 

“(Conv. 39) Where the Hand Strongly Sup¬ 
ports Partner’s Declaration, Both in the 
Trump Suit and Otherwise, Fourth Hand 
should Raise the Bid, even Though Third 
Hand has Passed.” 

[For appended Notes, see p. 52 .] 


FOURTH HAND (B) OR FOURTH BIDDER 97 

Where Dealer Has 
Called One Spade. 

Of a Major Suit; 

“(Conv. 51) Holding One or More Honors 
in Partner’s Suit, Together with Outside 
Strength, Raise His Bid, even Though 
the Intervening Opponent has Passed.” 

[For appended Notes, see p. 65.] 

Of No-Trump; 

“(Conv. 62) Holding Excellent Support for 
Partner’s No-Trump, Especially in the 
Minor Suits, Raise His Bid even Though 
the Intervening Opponent has Passed.” 

[For appended Notes, see p. 79.] 

TO TAKE PARTNER OUT 

Of One in a Minor Suit with 
the Other Minor Suit; 

“(Conv. 40) Denies Support for Partner’s 
Suit, or it Indicates Suit Strength Greater 
than the Average Hand with which 
Dealer would Call One.” 

[For appended Notes, see p. 53.] 

Of One, or More, in a Minor Suit 

with Hearts, Royals or No-Trump: 

“(Conv. 41) A Game-Going Declaration 
over Partner’s Call of Clubs or Diamonds, 


98 FOURTH HAND (B) OR FOURTH BIDDER 

Where Dealer Has 
Called One Spade. 

does not Necessarily Deny Support in the 
Minor Suit.” 

[For appended Notes, see p. 54.] 

Of Two or More in a Minor Suit 
with the Other Minor Suit; 

“(Conv. 48) Denies Partner’s Suit, and 
Shows a Suit as Strong, or Stronger, than 
a Dealer’s Two Trick Call.” 

[For appended Notes, see p. 61.] 

Of One in a Major Suit with 
Clubs or Diamonds; 

“(Conv. 52) Denies Partner’s Suit and 
Shows at Least Average Strength in the 
Minor Suit Named, but a Hand Other¬ 
wise too Weak to Risk a No-Trump. ,, 

[For appended Notes, see p. 66.] 

Of One in a Major Suit with 
the Other Major Suit; 

“(Conv. 53) Denies Partner’s Suit; or, it 
Indicates Suit Strength Greater than the 
Average Hand with which Dealer would 
Bid One.” 

[For appended Notes, see p. 67.] 


FOURTH HAND (B) OR FOURTH BIDDER 99 

Where Dealer Has 
Called One Spade. 

Of One in a Major Suit with 
No-Trump; 

“(Conv. 54) Denies Partner’s Suit but In¬ 
dicates More or Less Strength in the 
Three Other Suits.” 

[For appended Notes, see p. 68.] 

Of Two or More in a Major Suit 
with Clubs or Diamonds; 

‘‘(Conv. 59) Denies Absolutely Partner’s 
Suit and Shows either a Long Established 
Suit, Inviting No-Trump by Partner, or 
Game in Hand with the Minor Suit as 
Trump.” 

[For appended Notes, see p. 74.] 

Of Two or More in a Major Suit 
with the Other Major Suit; 

“(Conv. 60) Denies Absolutely Partner’s 
Suit, and Shows a Suit Probably Longer 
and Stronger than that Indicated by 
Partner’s Call.” 

[For appended Notes, see p. 75.] 

Of Two or More in a Major Suit 
with No-Trump; 

“(Conv. 61) Shows Usually 100 Aces, or 
Denies Partner’s Suit but Shows Double 
Stops in the Others.” 

[For appended Notes, see p. 75.] 


100 FOURTH HAND (B) OR FOURTH BIDDER 

Where Dealer Has 
Called One Spade. 

Of No-Trump with Clubs 
or Diamonds; 

“(Conv. 63) A Bid of Clubs or Diamonds 
over Partner’s No-Trump Denies Support 
for His Declaration.” 

[For appended Notes, see p. 79.] 

Of No-Trump with Hearts 
or Royals; 

“(Conv. 64) The Player should always 
Take His Partner Out of a No-Trump if 
He Holds Five or More Good Hearts or 
Royals.” 

[For appended Notes, see p. 80.] 


SECOND HAND BIDDING; 

Third Hand Doubling. 

The Conventions which Apply Here are 
Those of Third Hand. 

(a) Fourth Hand’s position here is practically the 
same as that occupied by Third Hand where 
Dealer has made an offensive declaration 
which Second Hand has doubled. 

(b) For the convenience of readers, the Third 
Hand Conventions which apply here are 
quoted and follow in their order; 


FOURTH HAND (B) OR FOURTH BIDDER ioi 

Where Dealer Has 
Called One Spade. 

Second Hand Bidding a Suit, 

Third Hand Doubling: 

“(Conv. 42) Holding Strong Cards in the 
Three Other Suits, Redouble Rather than 
Take Partner Out.” 

[For appended Notes, see pp. 55 and 68.] 

Second Hand Bidding No-Trump, 

Third Hand Doubling: 

“(Conv. 65) Should Opponent Double Part¬ 
ner’s No-Trump, There is no Obligation 
to Take Partner Out except with a Pow¬ 
erful Suit and Game Possibilities in 
Hand.” 

[For appended Notes, see p. 81.] 

SECOND HAND BIDDING; 

Third Hand Overbidding. 

The Conventions Controlling This Situation 
are Those of Third Hand. 

(a) Fourth Hand’s position here is practically the 
same as that occupied by Third Hand, where 
the Dealer has made an offensive declaration 
which Second Hand has overcalled. There¬ 
fore, only the supporting or doubling bids of 
Third Hand have any application. 


102 FOURTH HAND (B) OR FOURTH BIDDER 

Where Dealer Has 
Called One Spade. 

(b) For the convenience of readers, these Conven¬ 
tions are here quoted, and follow in their 
order. In reading the notes referred to, and 
applying them to Fourth Hand, all that is 
necessary is to shift the position of the players. 

TO SUPPORT PARTNER OR SHIFT 

TO ANOTHER DECLARATION: 

Where Partner’s Call of One in a 

Minor Suit is Overbid with a Suit; 

“(Conv. 45) Rarely Persist in a Minor Suit 
except to Go Game, or Save Game. Shift 
to Some Winning Declaration Whenever 
Possible.” 

[For appended Notes, see p. 57.] 

Where Partner’s Call of One in a 

Major Suit is Overbid with a Suit; 

“(Conv. 58) Player should Hold One (Prob¬ 
able) Trick in Trumps, and Two Outside 
Tricks, or at Least Two Cards of the 
Trump Suit and Three Outside Tricks. 
Only Aces and Kings are Considered as 
(Outside) Tricks. 

[For appended Notes, see p. 70.] 


FOURTH HAND (B) OR FOURTH BIDDER 103 

Where Dealer Has 
Called One Spade. 

Where Partner’s Declaration of Two, 
or More, in a Major or Minor 
Suit, is Overbid with a Suit; 

“(Conv. 50) Only Average Assistance, Two 
Tricks, is here Required.” 

[For appended Notes, see p. 63.] 

Where Partner’s Major or Minor 
Suit Declaration is Overbid 
with No-Trump; 

“(Conv. 46) Partner Having Shown His 
Suit, Fourth Hand is Free to Overcall the 
No-Trumper or Pass, Depending upon 
His Own Holding and Partner’s Indicated 
Strength.” 

[For appended Notes, see p. 59.] 

Where Partner’s No-Trump Declara¬ 
tion is Overbid with a Suit; 

“(Conv. 67) Player should Hold at Least 
One Sure Trick in Opponent’s Suit, To¬ 
gether with Strong All Around Hand; or, 
with Powerful Minor Suit either Estab¬ 
lished, or with Card or Cards of Re-entry, 
which will Insure its being Made, when 
Established.” 

[For appended Notes, see p. 83.] 


104 FOURTH HAND (B) OR FOURTH BIDDER 

Where Dealer Has 
Called One Spade. 

Where Partner’s Declaration of One 
No-Trump is Overbid with Two 
No-Trump; 

“(Conv. 71) Double if Possible; Rarely 
Overbid.” 

[For appended Notes, see p. 87.] 

TO DOUBLE: 

Where Partner’s Declaration of One 
in a Minor Suit is Overbid 
with a Suit; 

“(Conv. 43) To Double Opponent Who has 
Overbid with the Other Minor Suit, In¬ 
dicates Two, or More, Sure Tricks in Suit 
so Doubled, Denies (Probably) High 
Honor or Honors in Partner’s Suit, De¬ 
nies any Game Declaration in Hand, and 
Shows Lead Desired in Case Remaining 
Opponent Shifts.” 

“(Conv. 44) To Double Opponent Who has 
Overbid with the Other Major Suit, In¬ 
dicates Three or More Sure Tricks in 
Suit so Doubled, Denies (Probably) 
High Honor or Honors in Partner’s Suit, 
Denies any other Game Declaration in 
Hand, and Shows Lead Desired in Case 
Remaining Opponent Shifts.” 

[For appended Notes, see pp. 56-57.] 


FOURTH HAND (B) OR FOURTH BIDDER 105 

Where Dealer Has 
Called One Spade. 

Where Partner’s Major Suit Declara¬ 
tion is Overbid with a Suit; 

“(Conv. 56) To Double Opponent Who has 
Overbid with a Minor Suit Indicates Two 
or More Sure Tricks in Suit so Doubled, 
Denies Partner’s Suit, Denies any Decla¬ 
ration in Hand and Shows Lead Desired, 
in Case Remaining Opponent Shifts.” 

“(Conv. 57) To Double Opponent Who has 
Overcalled with the Other Major Suit In¬ 
dicates Three or More Sure Tricks in Suit 
so Doubled, Denies Partner’s Suit, Denies 
any Other Game Declaration in Hand and 
Shows Lead Desired, in Case Remaining 
Opponent Shifts.” 

[For appended Notes, see p. 70.] 

Where Partner’s Major or Minor Dec¬ 
laration of Two, or More, is 
Overbid with a Suit; 

“(Conv. 49) Indicates that the Doubler, 
Aided by Partner, is Assured of Scoring 
Heavy Penalties against Opponent’s Dec¬ 
laration.” 

[For appended Notes, see p. 63.] 


106 FOURTH HAND (B) OR FOURTH BIDDER 

Where Dealer Has 
Called One Spade. 

Where Partner’s No-Trump Declara¬ 
tion is Overbid with a Suit; 

“(Conv. 66) Holding Two or More Sure 
Tricks in Opponent’s Suit, Double the 
Opponent Rather than Bid Two No- 
Trump.” 

[For appended Notes, see p. 82.] 


WHERE DEALER HAS CALLED ONE 
OR MORE IN A SUIT. 

SECOND HAND PASSING; 

Third Hand Passing. 

TO PASS OR OVERCALL: 

Where Dealer has Called a 
Minor Suit: 

76. Fourth Hand should Pass unless Hand Contains 
Unmistakable Game Possibilities, Defended 
against Switch by Opponents to a “ Game- 
Going ” Declaration. 

It is hardly conceivable that partner, with any¬ 
thing worth while, would have passed a minor 
suit declaration. It naturally follows that 
Fourth Hand should have more than average 



FOURTH HAND (B) OR FOURTH BIDDER 107 

Where Dealer Has Called 
One or More in a Suit. 

strength in order to risk a bid, especially when 
it is considered that a player should never 
take Opponents out of a minor suit without 
good and sufficient reasons. 

Where Dealer has Called a 
Major Suit: 

76A. A Sound Declaration of Whatever Nature here 

is in Perfect Order. • 

(a) The reason for this is that the Opponents have 
made a threatening declaration; therefore, 
Fourth Hand must take steps to defend game 
by indicating where he can take tricks. 

(b) It is wise at this juncture, however, for Fourth 
Hand to examine carefully into possibilities 
before venturing upon a declaration. It is 
always possible that partner’s hand may be 
defended against Opponent’s suit, but other¬ 
wise worthless, and for Fourth Hand to bid 
under these circumstances, risks a shift by 
Opponent that would rob partner’s hand of 
any value that it might otherwise have pos¬ 
sessed. 

On the other hand, should Fourth Hand be 
able to show a strong suit, the defense above 
mentioned in Opponent’s suit may enable 
Second Hand to go No-Trump. Therefore, 


io8 FOURTH HAND (B) OR FOURTH BIDDER 

Where Dealer Has Called 
One or More in a Suit. 

Fourth Hand’s Declarations should be gov¬ 
erned by both offensive and defensive possi¬ 
bilities which might arise in the subsequent 
course of bidding. 

SECOND HAND PASSING; 

Third Hand Bidding. 

TO PASS OR OVERCALL: 

“(Conv. No. 73) Partner Having Shown 
Weakness, Fourth Hand is Seldom Justi¬ 
fied in Making any Declaration Whatso¬ 
ever, except for the Purpose of Going 
Game or Saving Game; or, for the Pur¬ 
pose of Indicating a Lead should Third 
Hand’s Declaration, Directly or Indi¬ 
rectly, Invite a Take-Out by the Dealer.’* 

(a) Fourth Hand’s situation here has no similarity 
with any other position at the table, heretofore 
treated. His partner’s weakness, and the Op¬ 
ponent’s indicated strength places him at a 
disadvantage in the bidding. The only con¬ 
ventional advice which may be of any assist¬ 
ance to him will be found quoted on pages 
90-92. 


FOURTH HAND (B) OR FOURTH BIDDER 109 

Where Dealer Has Called 
One or More in a Suit. 

SECOND HAND DOUBLING; 

Third Hand Passing, Redoubling or 
Overbidding. 

TO PASS OR OVERCALL: 

77. Second Hand’s Double is Purely Defensive and 
Neither Asks Fourth Hand to Allow the Double 
to Stand, nor Invites Him to Make any Declara¬ 
tion not Warranted by His Own Cards. 

(a) Partner’s double “ Indicates great length and 
strength (three or more sure tricks) in pre¬ 
ceding Opponent’s suit, and no other declara¬ 
tion in hand.” (See Convention No. 21 and 
Notes, p. 24.) 

The idea of this double is to pave the way for 
a normal declaration (if any) by Fourth 
Hand, one uninfluenced by weakness in Deal¬ 
er’s suit. 

SECOND HAND OVERCALLING; 

Third Hand Passing. 

TO RAISE PARTNER’S DECLARATION 
OR TO TAKE PARTNER OUT: 

78. Unless Partner has Overcalled with a Trick 
More than Necessary, His Bid should be Con- 


iio FOURTH HAND (B) OR FOURTH BIDDER 

Where Dealer Has Called 

One or More in a Suit. 

sidered a “ Forced ” One and not Credited with 

the Same Meaning as if Bid Originally. 

(a) “ Forced ” bids should not be credited as worth 
the number of tricks called. They may even 
(in major suits) lack the tops, or would other¬ 
wise be unsound as original declarations. 

(b) While the nature of Partner’s bid or call, to¬ 
gether with that of Dealer’s, may influence 
any contemplated declaration by Fourth Hand, 
such preceding bids in no wise modify or 
change the precise meaning attached to any 
encouraging or “ take-out ” bid which Fourth 
Hand might make. 

[For Table of Reference to Conventions 
covering situations which might here 
arise, see p. 96.] 

SECOND HAND OVERCALLING; 

Third Hand Doubling. 

TO PASS, REDOUBLE OR TAKE 
PARTNER OUT: 

The Conventions Controlling this Situation are 

Those of Third Hand. 

(a) While the nature of the preceding bids and 
double may influence any contemplated decla¬ 
ration by Fourth Hand, they would in no wise 


FOURTH HAND (B) OR FOURTH BIDDER in 

Where Dealer Has Called 
One or More in a Suit. 

modify or change the precise meaning attached 
to a redouble or “ take-out ” that Fourth 
Hand might make. 

(b) For reference to the conventions governing 
situations which might here arise, see p. ioi. 

SECOND HAND OVERCALLING; 

Third Hand Overbidding. 

TO DOUBLE, SUPPORT PARTNER, 

OR SHIFT TO ANOTHER 
DECLARATION: 

The Conventions Controlling this Situation are 
Those of Third Hand. 

(a) While the nature of the preceding bids may 
influence any contemplated declaration by 
Fourth Hand, such bids would in no wise 
modify or change the exact meaning attached 
to any double, supporting bid or “ take-out ” 
that Fourth Hand might make. 

(b) For reference to the Conventions governing 
situations which might here arise, see p. 102 . 


1 12 FOURTH HAND (B) OR FOURTH BIDDER 


WHERE DEALER HAS DECLARED 
NO-TRUMP. 

SECOND HAND PASSING; 

Third Hand Passing. 

TO DOUBLE: 

79. Asks Partner (the Attacking Hand) to Lead at 
Once the Highest of His Shortest Minor Suit. 
This is always provided that partner has not an 

ace-king suit of his own, in which case he 
should play the king first and then lead the 
card his partner’s double demands. 

SECOND HAND PASSING; 

Third Hand Passing. 

TO PASS OR OVERCALL: 

80. Holding a Suit which May Save Game if Led at 
Once, Fourth Hand should Risk its Indication, 
(a) The fact that Fourth Hand has repeatedly 

been warned not to disturb original Spade or 
suit declarations under apparently the same 
conditions (unless willing to assume sole re¬ 
sponsibility for any change that he might 
thereby cause in the statu quo), has here no 
application or bearing — the worst has hap¬ 
pened — nothing remains but to fight. 


FOURTH HAND (B) OR FOURTH BIDDER 113 

Where Dealer Has 
Declared No-Trump. 

Therefore, where the original bid has been no- 
trump and A and Y have both passed, B must 
indicate his suit, should he have one worth 
declaring. 

(b) If the average player were asked when, as 
Fourth Hand, he would be justified in taking 
out an original no-trump declaration that had 
been passed around the table, the chances are 
that the only definite idea he would have on 
the subject would be that he should indicate, 
if possible, his strong suit for the opening 
attack. 

(c) But this is by no means the last word on one 
of the most critical situations confronting a 
bidder. The fact that A has passed an origi¬ 
nal declaration of no-trump, is no positive 
inference of weakness. He may have been 
quite able to have overcalled a suit but un¬ 
willing, for many reasons, immediately to con¬ 
test a no-trump. 

With even more than average strength he may 
have purposely refrained from overbidding so 
that no obstacle would be placed in the path of 
ascertaining whether .or not Fourth Hand has 
a declaration in hand, and if so, the nature 
of it. 

[See Convention No. 28, p. 33, and par¬ 
ticularly Notes “ d,” “ e ” and “ f.”] 


114 FOURTH HAND (B) OR FOURTH BIDDER 

Where Dealer Has 

Declared No-Trump. 

(d) Much depends upon this particular play, for if 
B’s suit should happen to fit in with A’s 
hand, A may be able legitimately to push B’s 
suit or even to go no-trump himself, or double 
Z, should that player overbid B. Anything 
and everything can happen in the entire range 
of Auction Bids and Doubles. 

Therefore, B should be careful not to call any 
queen or jack-high suit without strong com¬ 
pensatory outside cards which would insure 
not only the making of his suit if established, 
but also insure partner against the false infer¬ 
ence of high cards in the suit called should he 
(partner) undertake either to bid himself, or 
to double the opponents. 

SECOND HAND PASSING; 

Third Hand Bidding a Minor Suit. 

TO PASS OR OVERCALL; 

81. Unless Fourth Hand is Very Strong, Such Dec¬ 
laration should be Left Alone, except where 
Game is in Danger, then Fourth Hand, with a 
Declaration that would Justify a Forced Call, 
should Declare it. 

The points here to be taken into consideration are: 

i. Original no-trumpers are usually called 
with a minor suit; 


FOURTH HAND (B) OR FOURTH BIDDER 115 

Where Dealer Has 
Declared No-Trump. 

2. Partner (Second Hand) has not as yet 
indicated weakness. (See Convention 
No. 28, par. f, p. 35.) 

3. Third Hand has indicated weakness. 
(See Convention No. 63, p. 79.) 

Therefore, should Fourth Hand have one of the 
major suits, partner may have the other. 

SECOND HAND PASSING; 

Third Hand Bidding a Major Suit. 

TO PASS OR OVERCALL; 

82. Unless Fourth Hand has Chance for Game in 
Hand, Such Declaration had Better be Left 
Alone. 

The points here to be taken into consideration are: 

1. That although Second Hand has not indi¬ 
cated weakness, neither has Third Hand; 

2. The no-trumper will almost invariably 
leave partner’s major suit in. 

Therefore, there is no object in Fourth Hand’s 
indicating a lead; that duty, should it here 
exist, devolves now upon Second Hand. 


n 6 FOURTH HAND (B) OR FOURTH BIDDER 

Where Dealer Has 

Declared No-Trump. 

SECOND HAND DOUBLING; 

Third Hand Passing. 

TO TAKE PARTNER OUT: 

83. Fourth Hand should not Leave Partner in His 
Double. 

Second Hand’s double indicates a general support¬ 
ing hand of more than average strength, and 
demands that Fourth Hand shall make a dec¬ 
laration of either Two in his long suit or Two 
no-trump — in other words, the best declara¬ 
tion his hand affords. 

[See Convention 27, p. 32.] 

SECOND HAND DOUBLING; 

Third Hand Bidding. 

TO PASS OR OVERCALL: 

84. Inasmuch as Third Hand has Taken Second 
Hand’s Double Out, Fourth Hand no Longer 
Rests under any Obligation to Make any Decla¬ 
ration not Justified by His Own Holding. 
Fourth Hand’s declarations should be governed 

entirely by the strength of the cards in his own 
hand, irrespective of partner’s original no- 
trump which so far has indicated nothing more 
than a supporting hand. 


FOURTH HAND (B) OR FOURTH BIDDER 117 

Where Dealer Has 
Declared No-Trump. 

SECOND HAND BIDDING; 

Third Hand Doubling or Overcalling. 

TO PASS, REDOUBLE OR OVERCALL; 

85. Not More than One to Two Tricks are here 
Required to Justify Fourth Hand in Supporting 
Partner’s Declaration. 

(a) Any Suit Declaration made by Second Hand 
over a no-trump, shows the same trick strength 
as does that of a “ rebid ” hand (see Conven¬ 
tion 87, p. 118), and Fourth Hand, unless 
trickless, should support partner once. 

(b) This is always provided that Second Hand 
thoroughly understands and appreciates the 
policy of not overcalling a no-trump declara¬ 
tion with less than game possibilities in hand. 
(See pars, c and d, p. 34.) 

However, should Second Hand be a player 
who (in overcalling a no-trump) makes no 
distinction whatever between average strength 
and great strength (see par. f, p. 35), his bids 
are cursed with a double meaning, and no 
partner should support him unless holding 
more than average strength himself. 

But where a sound bidder, when Second 
Hand, undertakes to overcall a no-trump, “ his 
hat is in the ring,” and partner should support 
him with any trick possibilities in hand. 


SECOND ROUND BIDS—GEN¬ 
ERAL CONVENTIONS. 


A SUIT BID ON THE SECOND ROUND 
WHICH WAS NOT DECLARED 
ON THE FIRST: 

86. May Deny the Master Cards in that Suit. 

(a) Therefore, a partner is never justified in 
placing the bidder with a sure trick in the suit 
so bid. 

(b) The exception to this rule would be where a 
player has bid a major suit on the first round 
and, because of lack of support therein by 
partner, switches to a minor suit on the second. 

The subsequent declaration of the minor suit 
indicates (almost invariably) stronger trick¬ 
taking cards in the minor suit; otherwise, he 
would have kept on with the major suit. 

A SUIT REBID BY ORIGINAL DE¬ 
CLARER, THOUGH NOT SUP¬ 
PORTED BY PARTNER: 

87. Shows Greater Strength than was Indicated by 
the Original Bid, and at Least Six Tricks in 
Hand. 

118 


SECOND ROUND BIDS 


119 

General 
Conventions. 

Shows strong supporting cards together with suf¬ 
ficient trump strength and length to insure the 
contract. 

A MINOR SUIT BID ON THE SECOND 
ROUND, ITS DECLARER HAVING 
BID A MAJOR SUIT ON THE FIRST: 

88. Indicates, Usually, More Sure Tricks in the 
Minor than in the Major Suit. 

Therefore, should Opponents capture the declara¬ 
tion and the Partner who has not bid is first 
to lead, he should, all things being equal, lead 
the minor suit first. 

A MAJOR SUIT BID ON THE SECOND 
ROUND, ITS DECLARER HAVING 
BID A MINOR SUIT ON THE FIRST: 

89. Indicates Sure Tricks in the Minor or Losing 
Suit, but Denies Them in the Major Suit. 

Therefore, should Opponents capture the declara¬ 
tion and the Partner who has not bid is first 
to lead, he should, all things being equal, lead 
the minor suit first. 

TO SUPPORT PARTNER’S DECLARA¬ 
TION ON THE SECOND ROUND 
AND NOT ON THE FIRST. 

90. Only Average Assistance (Two Tricks) is here 
Required. 


SECOND ROUND BIDS 


120 

General 

Conventions. 

With Outside Tricks: 

(a) When a Declarer rebids his suit despite lack 
of support on the first round, he shows at 
least six tricks in hand. Therefore, Declarer’s 
partner, holding but average assistance, i. e., 
one to two sure tricks, may support him once. 

With Trumps Only: 

(b) When a Declarer rebids his suit without such 
important cards as the A Q or K Q of the 
suit, which are in the hand of his partner, the 
partner should raise this bid once to show this 
holding, even if he has not another trick in 
his hand. 

FREE BIDS: THEIR MEANING. 

91. A Free Bid in a Minor Suit Shows the Exact 

Trick Value of the Suit; Whereas, in a Major 

Suit it Shows More the Trick Value of the Hand. 

• 

(a) Free Bids may be divided into two classes: 

1. Any better bid than a Spade by the 
Dealer, or any bid that overcalls a Spade 
(as fully given under the Conventions 
governing the Dealer or Original Bid¬ 
der) ; 

2. Any bid of a trick more than is necessary 
to overcall a previous bid. 


SECOND ROUND BIDS 


121 


General 

Conventions. 

(b) The second class of Free Bids are no less pre¬ 
cise than are the first. For example: 

To overcall an opponent’s bid of One (in any 
suit) with a Three trick bid in Clubs or Dia¬ 
monds, gives exactly the same information as 
the Original Bid of Two (see p. n), with 
the additional information that the bidder does 
not stop the overcalled suit. 

(c) Even the partner may be overcalled in this 
manner: 

Holding six or more tricks in Clubs, or seven 
or more in Diamonds, a player should so over¬ 
call a minor suit bid by partner. But he 
should not take out partner’s major suit dec¬ 
larations except to show lack of support in 
partner’s suit. 

FORCED BIDS: THEIR MEANING. 

92. A Declaration that has been Forced by a Pre¬ 
ceding Bid should Never be Credited with the 
Same Strength as if the Declaration were a Free 
One. 

For example, a bid of Two Diamonds over one 
heart has not the same significance as if two 
diamonds had been bid originally; because the 
player is here forced to bid Two Tricks to 
overcall the heart. 


122 


SECOND ROUND BIDS 


General 

Conventions. 

BIDDING THE SAME HAND TWICE. 

93. Having Once Bid His Hand, a Player should not 
Bid it Again—Not Even to Push His Part¬ 
ner’s Declaration — Unless it Contains Greater 
Strength than the First Bid Indicated. 

(a) To illustrate: — Z deals, and with * A K io 
x x, ^ K J x, A x x x, V x x, calls One 
Club; A bids One Heart; Y One no-trump 
and B Two Hearts. The bidding is once more 
round to Z, but inasmuch as his hand contains 
no greater strength than his partner may have 
presumed from his original call, he must 
neither raise his partner’s bid to Two no- 
trump nor call more clubs. 

The error of bidding the same hand twice is 
one frequently committed by good players 
when they support their partner’s declara¬ 
tion, although holding no greater strength 
than was indicated by their original bid. 

PERSISTING IN A MINOR SUIT. 

94. To Capture the Declaration in Order to Play the 
Hand with a Minor Suit as Trump (unless to 
Make Game or Save Game) should not be the 
Controlling Idea of a Player when Bidding these 
Suits. 

(a) Where neither partner holds a “ Game-Going ” 
declaration nor possibility for game in a minor 


SECOND ROUND BIDS 


, 123 


General 

Conventions. 

suit, a minor suit should not be persisted in, 
especially when game is not in danger. The 
reason for this is that many losing suits are 
called to show quick tricks (such as One trick 
in the minor suit and Two in a short major 
suit) and are not intended as makes; therefore 
partner must be extremely wary in supporting 
such declarations. 

(b) While passive resistance to opponents’ offen¬ 
sive declarations would be a poor-spirited 
manner of conducting a defense, still the other 
extreme would show equally poor judgment. 
The only term which would seem to define the 
subsequent handling of minor suits is that of 
“ aggressive defense,” as defined under “ Push¬ 
ing ” and “ Flag-Flying ” tactics (p. 153 ). 

If the opponent’s declaration is in one of 
the minor suits, a player should think twice 
before persisting in the other minor suit to 
the point where opponents might change to 
a major suit or no-trump. 

PERSISTING IN A MAJOR SUIT. 

95. Great Strength and Length in a Major Suit (A 
KQxxx — KQJxxxx) should be Bid until 
the Exact Trick-Taking Value of the Suit, or 
Hand in General, is Clearly Shown, Regardless 
of any Bid or Bids of Partner. 


124 


SECOND ROUND BIDS 


General 

Conventions. 

(a) With such length the bidder could not reason¬ 
ably expect partner to hold many cards in this 
suit; therefore, he must neither be surprised, 
chagrined nor embarrassed, should partner 
overcall with another suit in order to deny 
support for his; or to bid no-trump, for the 
same purpose. 

(b) Curiously enough, overbidding or denial bids 
from a partner, often serves to frighten and 
embarrass timid or temperamental players, 
more especially when they screw their courage 
up to the point of rebidding their suit and 
have their partner take them out a second 
time. This insistence seems to confuse them, 
and their tendency is weakly to give way in 
face of opposition by partner, even more 
quickly than they would have, had this oppo¬ 
sition come from opponents. 

There is nothing alarming in all this; on the 
contrary, partners should feel encouraged to 
continue until the strongest combination has 
been definitely discovered. A bidder should 
always keep in mind that Game is the goal, 
and that from love score, at least 30 points are 
required. Holding a hand where there exists 
a strong probability of going game, why stop 
short of bidding game? Or allow partner to 
do so? Under these conditions, a player 
should insist until partner either shows he has 


SECOND ROUND BIDS 


125 

General 
Conventions. 

a game hand himself, or drops out of the run¬ 
ning. It generally takes more than one over¬ 
call before partners begin to examine carefully 
the relative game merits of their bids. 

Holding 100 aces will not justify a player’s 
insistence on no-trump unless he is prac¬ 
tically sure of going game when his partner 
has bid and rebid a major suit. 

SILENCE OF PARTNER: DESERVES 
SERIOUS CONSIDERATON. 

96. .Be Extremely Wary of the Continued Silence of 
Partner. He May be Long or Strong in the Op¬ 
ponent’s Suit but Otherwise Weak. 

If so, his hand can be of no assistance to his part¬ 
ner and is only valuable with the Opponent’s 
suit as trump. Even being chicane in Oppo¬ 
nent’s suit is not sufficient warrant for con¬ 
tinuing with a doubtful declaration when 
partner has been conspicuous by his silence. 


SPECIAL ARTICLES. 


DOUBLING. 


General Remarks. 

The double plays a very important role in Auction, 
and, despite the fact that authorities have devoted to 
it many pages of argument and advice, it remains, and 
will ever remain, so subtle an element of the game as 
to perplex even the most advanced players. 

Players should, first of all, avoid doubtful doubles. 
A safe practice is to double on one’s own hand — what 
tricks a partner may take will be so many more to the 
good. 

Again, an undoubled declaration, should the contract 
be made, stands to win but 6 to io points a trick, as 
against losing 50 points a trick, if the contract fails. 
The odds against Declarer are, therefore, about 12 to 
2, besides which he must win 10 to 11 tricks to go game. 

The moment this declaration is doubled, however, it 
stands to go game with half as many odd tricks, and, 
taking Hearts as an average declaration, to win 66 
points as against losing 100, so that the double has 
reduced the odds against the declarer from 12 to 2, to 
3 to 2. 


126 


SPECIAL ARTICLES 


127 

Doubling. 

To double after due consideration with some defi¬ 
nite object in view, is one thing; to double “on gen¬ 
eral principles ” is another. Ill-advised doubles are 
both stupid and costly, as they serve only to show 
where the strength lies, and may help the adversaries 
to score game, which otherwise they could not do. 

Inasmuch as a great many doubles are either ill- 
advised or merely indicatory, a player is seldom justi¬ 
fied in taking his partner out of a doubled declaration, 
unless he would (or could) have taken partner out, 
even if he had not been doubled. 

Holding a sure double over the adversary, a player 
should double under any of the following conditions, 
never forgetting however the possibility of a mis- 
play, either by himself or partner, that would enable 
the adversary to fulfil his contract. 

When to Double: 

(1) When it would be imprudent to continue the 
bidding; 

(2) When going game seems improbable; 

(3) When, with game in hand, penalties of 200 and 
upward are assured; 

(4) When, with rubber game in hand, penalties of 
300 and upward are assured; 

(5) When there is a “free double,” i. e., when 
the adversary, even if not doubled, will score 


SPECIAL ARTICLES 


Doubling. 

game should he fulfil his contract. (See par. 
3, under “ When Not to Double ”) ; 

(6) When by a judicious bluff there is a strong 
probability of inducing the adversaries into 
changing their declaration for one easier to 
defeat. 

When Not to Double: 

(1) With game in hand, never even consider dou¬ 
bling, unless sure of marking penalties com¬ 
mensurate with the value of a game. (See 
pars. 3 and 4, “ When to Double ”) ; 

(2) It is inexpedient to double a declaration that 
suits your hand unless well prepared to dou¬ 
ble any other call. This is highly important, 
as players continually overlook this contin¬ 
gency and their exultant “ double ” resolves 
into a disconsolate “ No,” when the opponents 
shift. 

(3) Never indulge in a so-called free double un¬ 
less you have a reasonable chance to defeat 
the declaration. A redouble might score a 
very costly rubber against you; 

(4) Avoid doubling on mere length while there 
remains the slightest probability that your 
partner might interpret such double as indi¬ 
cating master cards, and inviting him to make 
or continue a declaration of his own. 


SPECIAL ARTICLES 


129 

Doubling. 


(5) The doubling of any bid of One, except that 
of One Spade, to serve as an indication, is 
of doubtful expediency. It is much better, 
when holding Two tricks in the adversary’s 
suit and a suspicion of a no-trumper along¬ 
side, to declare no-trump. If your partner 
cannot back you up, and you are overbid, there 
is no great harm done. 

(6) Do not double if the disclosure of strength is 
likely to be of advantage to the declarer, 
enabling him to finesse successfully or show¬ 
ing him the distribution of the trumps. 

AVOIDING AN IMMEDIATE DEC¬ 
LARATION BY CALLING 
ONE SPADE. 

A Practice Formerly 
in Great Favor. 

When making a declaration, it is absolutely neces¬ 
sary that a player should not only know its precise 
signification but should take fully into account its prob¬ 
able effect upon partner and adversaries. Inasmuch as 
it is impossible to foretell what that effect will be, 
there are some players who, believing the deal to be a 
disadvantage, make a practice of opening with a non¬ 
committal “ One Spade,” requesting their partner (in 
advance) to be kind enough always to take them 
out. 


SPECIAL ARTICLES 


130 

Avoiding an Immediate 
Declaration by Calling One Spade. 

The following are the two most important reasons 
for the spade opening, viz: 

(1) As a precaution against the partner’s holding 
a Yarborough, in which case even with a 
sound make in your hand, its premature dis¬ 
closure could be of no benefit except to the 
adversaries. 

(2) Again, there is also the chance that an ad¬ 
versary will hold the very suit you otherwise 
might have declared, in which event the defeat 
administered and the heavy tribute exacted 
will be of the most satisfactory nature. 

The opponents of this method advocate what is 
known as the “ forward game,” and assert that their 
style of play is more productive in the long run than 
the “ waiting game.” They claim : 

(1) That the majority of deals produce two hands 
of dangerous calibre and that should these lie 
in opposite camps, allowing the adversary to 
fire the first shot, gives an advantage not easily 
recovered. 

(2) That the penalties scored by the “ waiting 
game ” are usually insufficient to compensate 
for the many wasted opportunities of scoring 
the rubber which may be eventually lost by 
following such tactics. 


SPECIAL ARTICLES 131 

Avoiding an Immediate 
Declaration by Calling One Spade. 

It is unquestionable that a judicious variation of the 
two methods yields the best results and permits that 
diversity of play so essential when pitted against keen 
and observant adversaries, ever ready to take advan¬ 
tage of set or characteristic methods of play. 

Receptive vs. Informatory Hands 
when Calling a Spade. 

While there is no convention or rule governing this 
opening bid, it may be of assistance to explain that 
One Spade is usually bid by a strong hand when the 
hand is of a character that calls for receiving informa¬ 
tion and is strong enough to warrant the assumption 
that after it is in possession of the information sought 
for, the hand can be declared to the best advantage. 

The dealer should not bid “ One Spade ” when his 
hand contains only an informatory declaration in Clubs 
or Diamonds. 

INFORMATORY BIDS IN 
MINOR SUITS. 

As a general principle bidders should never be 
prejudiced in favor of their own holding, or desire 
that partner should support their declarations, un¬ 
less with only average support, game is possible and 
nothing short of game. 

Throughout this Treatise on Bidding, it has been 
consistently advocated that, as to the Minor Suits, 


SPECIAL ARTICLES 


132 

Informatory Bids 
In Minor Suits. 

original calls therein, either by the Dealer, or by Sec¬ 
ond Hand following Dealer’s one spade, should have 
no higher purpose than to show support for a better 
declaration by partner, or to indicate the best defense 
against an adverse declaration. 

In other words, the bidder, where his partner has 
yet to speak, should never allow great length in a 
Minor Suit to create a selfish desire to play the suit 
as trump, or to influence any call in such a suit not in 
strict accordance with the conventions. 

There should be no assumption by the opening bid¬ 
der that the establishment of a Minor Suit as trump 
would be to the advantage of the partners, or that a 
high call with this object in view has any chance to 
win the declaration, unless partner’s hand holds the 
balance of power, in which case the probabilities are 
strongly against the Minor Suit being the best declara¬ 
tion between the two hands. 

Calls in Minor Suits should be limited to one, or at 
the most, two trick bids. ONE showing two tricks 
in the suit called or one trick therein and two outside 
tricks; and TWO showing a solid or set-up suit. 
Calls of THREE or more, as a rule, are more em¬ 
barrassing to partner than to the opponents. 

However, where there is an extraordinary distribu¬ 
tion of cards and the bidder can make four or five 
odd unassisted, he should call the full strength of 
hand, or a trick more, on the chance of shutting out 


SPECIAL ARTICLES 


133 

Informatory Bids 
In Minor Suits. 

adverse declarations. But where the hand falls short 
of game possibilities, in that it requires more than 
average support from partner, the bidder should start 
modestly and allow the subsequent bidding to develop 
the exact status of the game without fear or favor. 

If it happens that the original bidder’s suit proves 
to be the best declaration between the partners, it 
should be legitimately established as such by the bid¬ 
ding, and not by an unreasonably high opening de¬ 
claration. To start with a fixed idea that it is the 
best, or worse still, to attempt a shut out bid with a 
Minor Suit in violation of the conventions, is selfish, 
and is unfair to partner, showing little or no apprecia¬ 
tion of the better principles of bidding, and complete 
ignorance of probabilities. 

Players not familiar with these probabilities are at 
a serious disadvantage when pitted against players 
who are, for it is well known to all experienced 
players: 

1. That Minor Suits are seldom able to win the 
final declaration against the higher declarations 
except at a loss. 

2. That when played as trump they are usually 
worthless, having little or no value as game-going 
declarations. 

3. That to capture the declaration for the purpose 
of playing for anything less than game (or to 


134 


SPECIAL ARTICLES 


Informatory Bids 
In Minor Suits. 

save game) is a surrender of the advantage of 
playing for penalties, for points on the score 
rarely help in winning the game. 

In case the bare word of experience needs the sup¬ 
port of actual figures, they can be had from Mr. Bry¬ 
ant McCampbell’s resume of 500 rubbers and 2514 
deals, where we find: 

1. That out of 2514 deals, no-trump, Royals and 
Hearts succeed in winning the final declaration 
2167 times. 

2. That out of 1265 declarations which go game, 
no-trump, Royals and Hearts are the winning 
declarations in 1142 instances. 

3. That practically one out of every two deals score 
game regardless of a previous score, while only 
one in twenty-five score game because of a previ¬ 
ous score. 

These figures should make it fairly evident why 
good players try continually for game-going declara¬ 
tions, and why, when failing to discover one, they 
prefer playing against the adversaries’ declaration 
rather than insisting upon some Minor Suit which 
promises no reward commensurate with the risk in¬ 
volved, nor compensation for the penalties which 
might be obtained by allowing the adversaries to play 
the hand. 


SPECIAL ARTICLES 


135 

Informatory Bids 
In Minor Suits. 

The foregoing is not intended as an argument 
against bidding Minor Suits, on the contrary, it is of 
the utmost importance that they should be bid, more 
often than they are, but, it was necessary before en¬ 
tering upon any discussion on this point, to define 
clearly the subordinate position occupied by these 
Minor Suits and to encourage intelligent appreciation 
as to their limitation, and the uselessness of insisting 
upon them as trumps. 

Many players, strong otherwise, are here woefully 
weak. The writer remembers one player in particular, 
because he plays an otherwise unusually fine game of 
Auction. This player dealt and bid a Spade, having 
in hand the A K J x x of Clubs, and when asked why 
he did not call the Clubs, replied that he had nothing 
else in hand to support a Club declaration. 

This was a virtual confession that had he held this 
support he would have desired to play Clubs, as 
trumps, an astonishing statement which no doubt did 
not convey his precise meaning. Nevertheless, he be¬ 
trayed his weakness in this department of the bidding. 

First, he should have indicated a Club lead in case 
the following player made a game declaration, and 
second, he should have shown these cards to partner 
in order that the partner might declare his hand in 
accordance with the combined holdings. In this par¬ 
ticular instance, had he called the Club, his partner 
would have gone to no-trumps and scored game. 
Here was a rare opportunity thrown away; for by 


SPECIAL ARTICLES 


136 

Informatory Bids 
In Minor Suits. 

what process of reasoning could his partner arrive at 
the fact that he held such powerful cards as the Ace — 
King of Clubs? Cards of greater potency in this 
modern game than all the Queens and Jacks put to¬ 
gether. 

Authors, generally, maintain that a player should 
never declare a suit (and risk being left in) unless 
able and willing to play it as trump. Manifestly this 
doctrine is sound as to the Major suits, where every 
declaration therein must be a make, i. e., length as 
well as strength. But as for the Minor Suits, it is 
usually unimportant whether they be long or short, in¬ 
asmuch as they simply offer to support some better 
declaration in the hand of partner. 

It would be thoroughly inconsistent were the author 
to go upon record as advocating the general use of 
any short suit declaration that would risk a double 
meaning, especially among players, who as partners, 
will thoughtlessly and for no good reason, push a 
Minor suit declaration. Among good players, how¬ 
ever, this danger is not imminent for, unless holding 
great length in the suit called, they will either try for 
some better declaration or pass. Nor will the bidder 
suffer serious harm if left in, should so unlikely a 
thing occur, being usually able to make his contract. 

The advantage of calls in minor suits is, that where 
partner can make a declaration, such call is of material 
aid in determining the exact nature of the declaration 


SPECIAL ARTICLES 


137 

Informatory Bids 
In Minor Suits. 

or in quieting apprehension as to loss of game, should 
he decide not to contest the opposing declaration. 

Without taking any definite stand either for or 
against, the author ventures to suggest that such calls 
may be used among players who are not in the habit of 
pushing losing suit declarations, but not among players 
who are, especially when the bidder’s partner has not 
been previously warned that a bid in a Minor suit may 
not always show length as well as strength. 

The only grave danger in calling a Minor suit with 
anything less the regulation five in suit, lies in the 
possibility of partner insisting upon such declaration, 
in total disregard for such a contingency. Therefore, 
it is always wise to avoid the use of any call of 
which partner cannot be depended upon to make proper 
use. 

CHOICE OF DECLARATION BETWEEN 
TWO SUITS OF APPROXIMATELY 
EQUAL STRENGTH. 

Some authorities on Auction advise a player, hav¬ 
ing in hand two suits of approximately equal strength 
and length, first to call the one of lower value for the 
reason that if it should be doubled, he can then call 
the one of higher value without having to increase the 
number of tricks bid. Theoretically, this advice ap¬ 
pears sound — practically, it is unsound. 


138 special articles 

Choice of Declaration Between 

Two Suits of Approximately Equal Strength. 

Suits of Equal (Game) Value. 

Assuming that Z deals and holds V A Q J x x, A 
KQJxx, ♦ xx, Ax and calls the Heart first: 

(a) If the Heart is overcalled by opponent and 
Two Royals bid on’ the second round, Z’s 
partner, in order to show his preference for 
the Heart declaration, must increase the con¬ 
tract ; 

(b) But if the Royal is called first, and is over¬ 
called, and Two Hearts then bid, Z’s partner 
can show his preference for Royals without 
increasing the contract. 

Suits of Unequal (Game) Value. 

Assuming that one of the two suits is a major, and 
the other a minor, suit, i. e., V K Q J x x, A A K Q 
xx, ♦ x x, A x, and Z calls the minor suit (Clubs) 
first: 

(1) He risks being left in with the Club; good 
players are never keen about overbidding op¬ 
ponents’ minor suit declarations unless they 
can materially advance their own interests in 
so doing; 

(2) He also virtually confesses that his hand con¬ 
tains no declaration of higher game value; 

(3) Should his partner Y call no-trump, Z must 
now overcall with Two Hearts in order to 


SPECIAL ARTICLES 139 

Choice of Declaration Between 
Two Suits of Approximately Equal Strength. 

show his major suit. Should Y assume that 
Z’s Hearts are weaker than is actually the 
case, and rebid no-trumps, Z is left in a quan¬ 
dary whether or not to go on with the Hearts; 

(4) Should Z’s opponent A (or B) overbid the 
Club, and Z call the Heart on the second 
round, it leaves Y under the impression, how¬ 
ever erroneous, that the second bid was from 
length only; 

(5) Should A overcall and Y make a bid, B in . 
turn supporting his partner A, the situation 
for Z becomes not only complex, but both 
embarrassing and dangerous,— whether to risk 
a high heart bid, continue the Clubs, support 
his partner or pass. 

This might all have been avoided had Z first declared 
his Hearts. The Heart is the logical opening — it is 
the more advantageous trump; not only are less tricks 
required therein for game, but the Club is the better 
supporting suit. Then, again, this declaration gives 
partner a more precise indication of the character and 
strength of the two suits. If Z opens with the Heart: 

(1) Is overbid by A and his partner (Y) passes. 
The Heart has here been shown; now the 
Club, when called on the second round, shows 
Y strong Clubs as well as a Heart declaration. 
Z has now eliminated all hazard of Y’s over- 


I 4 0 SPECIAL ARTICLES 

Choice of Declaration Between 

Two Suits of Approximately Equal Strength. 

bidding the hand and, at the same time, pro¬ 
vided Y with indications of such exactness 
that Y’s inferences from them must be cor¬ 
rect; 

(2) Should A pass, and Y declare no-trump, deny¬ 
ing support for the Heart, Z should rest con¬ 
tent unless B’s overbidding the no-trump, or 
the state of the score, makes it necessary or 
advisable to call the Clubs. 

IMPORTANCE OF ACES AND KINGS. 

Auction Bridge is a game of aces and kings, for 
the reason that they account for Eight of the Thirteen 
tricks. A long suit without the ace, or king-queen, has 
no value as an opening declaration, as the bidder can¬ 
not reasonably expect that the suit so bid will prove to 
be the final trump. 

Never Make an Opening Bid of a Suit 

Lacking Both the Ace and King. 

(a) An original declaration of a suit lacking both 
the ace and king, risks the betrayal of partner 
into either bidding no-trump with but a single 
stop in the adversaries’ suit, or into doubling 
an adversary’s declaration through placing the 
original bidder with at least one sure trick in 
his suit. 


SPECIAL ARTICLES 


141 

Importance of 
Aces and Kings. 

(b) After the first round, the dealer or original 
bidder is quite free to bid his long suit under 
the protection of the Convention provided 
therefor. (See Convention No. 86, p. 118.) 

Nothing in the entire range of Bridge declarations 
is so fruitful of misunderstanding and loss as bidding 
suits that lack the master cards. The majority of 
players seem obsessed with the desire immediately to 
bid what they have in hand, no matter how worthless 
or misleading such bid may be. To pass with prudence 
and take advantage of subsequent indications, render 
pour mieux sauter, they consider a lamentable loss of 
opportunity. 

97. Holding A K of One Suit, does not Justify the 

Declaration of Another Suit Lacking these Top 

Honors. 

The reason for this is that: 

(a) Should the bid be that of a major suit, the 
bidder is supposed to have these outside tricks 
in addition to one or more sure tricks (not a 
queen or jack) in the suit he declares. 

(b) Should the bid be that of a minor suit, the 
bidder is supposed to have the tricks in the 
suit he declares, because minor suits are used 
to support “ game-going ” declarations, and 
queen-high minor suits are not support. 


SPECIAL ARTICLES 


142 

Importance of 
Aces and Kings. 

Naturally there are hands so strong that conventions 
cannot affect them. Even so, this is no reason for 
their immediate declaration, unless fearing strong op¬ 
position from either of the major suits. 

98 . Never, as Dealer, Declare a Suit Lacking Both 
the Ace and King, unless Supported by Such 
Strong Outside Cards as to Insure Game. 

To illustrate this point, take two example hands, 
one justifying the bid, the other not; the first 
containing length supported by master cards 
in other suits; the second containing length 
not so supported. 

1. — ¥ QJ 10 9 8 7; * A K; ♦ KQ10 

98 A —. 

2. — V QJ 10 9876 * J 3; ♦ K9; 

A 65. 

Hand No. 1: To declare One Heart in order that 
a partner may have an early and inexpensive 
opportunity of assisting, is both unnecessary 
and futile — Two Hearts are open to the same 
objection. But to open with Three Hearts 
possesses considerable merit — it will either 
push the adversaries into an expensive declara¬ 
tion wherein they incur the risk of heavy pen¬ 
alties, or into doubling the Heart declaration, 
whereupon a redouble would net a very con¬ 
siderable total. 


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143 

Importance of 
Aces and Kings. 

The final conclusion that should be reached, how¬ 
ever, is that hands containing unusual com¬ 
binations are independent of any existing 
convention and their declaration becomes 
wholly optional, providing the long suit be 
either Hearts or Royals. Should the long suit 
be Clubs or Diamonds, no opening bid of such 
suit without the tops is permissible, even to 
the score. 

Hand No. 2: Even extraordinary length in a suit 
lacking the tops is no justification for an 
original declaration thereof. An original bid 
of Two to show this holding risks a triple in¬ 
terpretation, i. e., 

1. Length with an outside “ bust,” or 

2. Length with a strong outside hand; or 

3. Length and strength, should a partner 
choose so to interpret the bid. 

Besides which, ninety per cent, of the players, who 
employ the Convention of Two to show length only, 
are themselves the worst violators of its principles. 
They will not hesitate to bid Two when holding the 
tops, thus “ blowing both hot and cold,” and partners 
never know when, or when not, to support their decla¬ 
rations. 

This practice weakens a player’s game to the extent 


144 


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Importance of 
Aces and Kings. 

that strong players never consider him seriously either 
as opponent or partner. 

“ No. 2 ” hands are “ busts ” and have no value 
whatsoever unless supported by a no-trump in hand 
of partner, and the mere fact that Two is bid origi¬ 
nally, cannot change the disposition of the cards in the 
hands of the three other players nor can it have any 
effect on the final outcome of the bidding, unless to 
the detriment of the bidder of the “ bust ” and his 
partner. 

If the partner has a hand strong enough to go game, 
with the long suit as trump, he should be able to make 
a bid of some description, wholly irrespective of the 
Heart suit; therefore, the logical and best manner of 
handling long suits without the tops is first to find out 
whether partner is strong enough to support the suit. 

Even when this point is dubious, the subsequent dec¬ 
larations of the long suit can do no harm, unless oppo¬ 
nents have shown unusual strength; in such a case the 
declaration should never be made. 

The only possible value of a call of Two from length, 
is to discourage tentative no-trumpers, but if this value 
be weighed in the balance, against the prodigious losses 
incurred by this loose system of bidding, the result 
would prove the justification of eliminating such calls, 
especially as ninety-nine times out of a hundred, the 
suit can safely be called on the second round, provided 
there ever existed any value therein. 


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145 

Importance of 
Aces and Kings. 

Therefore, the exact character of such hands is 
plainly indicated if they are opened with One Spade, 
and the suit is bid on the second round. 

ORIGINAL BIDS OF TWO. 

Authorities Differ as to Its 
Exact Meaning. 

In no other department of the bidding are there so 
many diverse opinions as in that relating to Original 
Bids of Two. According to one school it indicates 
length and strength, such as A K Q io 9 7, and to the 
other school length only, such as Q J 10 9 8 7. 

If this were the sum total of differences, and players 
could be relied upon to adhere strictly to one school or 
the other, there would be nothing very alarming in the 
situation. But, unfortunately, there are other differ¬ 
ences, inasmuch as the advocates of the original call 
from weakness are not wholly in accord. The follow¬ 
ing quotations clearly sustain this statement: 

“ A bid of Two Royals should imply length in 
the suit and a lack of outside strength” 

(Elwell) 

“ Holding six or seven cards headed by the 
Queen or Jack in Royals or Hearts, together with 
outside strength, such as an Ace or King, bid to 
make Two.” 

(Hopson) 

“ But when we come to the Spade suit in 
Royals, the bidding is exactly reversed. We bid 


146 

Original 
Bids of Two. 


SPECIAL ARTICLES 


Two in the weak suit (spades) when we have the 
winning cards (Ace-King) but no length. . . . 

We bid only one trick on the length, such as Q 10 
9763 2.” 

(Foster) 

Encourages Uunsound Bidding and Destroys 
Confidence Between Partners. 

The line from Pope’s “ Essay on Man,” which says: 
“ A Little Knowledge is a Dangerous Thing,” aptly ex¬ 
presses the knowledge that many players possess of the 
modern principles of bidding. Their one pet delusion 
is that they must bid when their turn comes, and any 
convention on which they can hang the most bids meets 
with their enthusiastic approval. 

Let us imagine a hypothetical case, and take a player 
whom we will call Z who, notwithstanding he has 
never read any books on the subject, is quite confident 
he is letter perfect as to his understanding of the Con¬ 
ventions and their proper application. 

With Z as partner, a game of Auction would be 
something like this: 

On Z’s first deal he looks at a hand without a trick; 
he has, however, six hearts to the queen. Any idea 
that such a hand might be passed is so remote as to be 
almost non-existent, so he bids two hearts. His part¬ 
ner, Y, supports him once, whereupon Z pushes the 
Hearts along until doubled. Result: four or five hun¬ 
dred down. 


SPECIAL ARTICLES 


147 
Original 
Bids of Two. 

When it is Z’s turn again to bid first, he finds five 
royals to the queen-jack and quite a strong hand along¬ 
side. He bids two royals and, although his partner, 

Y, holds the ace and king of Royals, the balance of his 
hand, together with a recollection of the former sad 
affair counsels prudence, so he firmly passes the ad¬ 
versaries* higher call. Result: chance for game lost. 

Now, while the authorities are unanimous that 
neither a Club or Diamond suit lacking the ace and 
king should be called originally, this will not prevent 

Z, when the opportunity presents, from bidding a 
“ bust ” in a minor suit. Partner, secure in the knowl¬ 
edge that an original bid of Two Clubs or Two Dia¬ 
monds indicates strength therein, bids or doubles 
accordingly. Result: another four or five hundred 
down. 

Then, should Z, by way of a little variety, miscall 
a few hands, i. e., call Two instead of One (or vice 
versa), the debacle is complete. 

Most Authorities are Opposed to 
Original Bids from Length. 

The majority of the authorities are diametrically op¬ 
posed to an original bid of weakness. Without calling 
upon all of them to bear witness thereto, the opinion 
of the two following well known authors should suf¬ 
fice : 

“If a player declares any such combination 
(i. e., combinations headed by the Queen or 


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148 

Original 
Bids of Two. 

Jack) his power to give information when he 
really possesses strength, of course, immediately 
ceases to exist, and the entire structure of infor¬ 
mative bidding thereby drops to pieces.” 

(Work) 

“ This original strength Two-trick call (from 
great suit strength) must not be confounded with 
the stupid convention which some players adopted 
at Auction Bridge, that a Two-trick call meant 
great length without the command of the suit. It 
was a bad convention at Auction Bridge, but it 
is an impossible one at the new game.” 

(Dalton) 


Dangerous at all Times and 

Usually Wholly Unnecessary. 

The fact that such bid of Two in a long Heart or 
Royal suit is at times strategically correct in the hands 
of skilled players does not, in my opinion, justify its 
general adoption. Such bids, when successful, are 
generally wholly unnecessary, as the declarer would 
have had ample opportunity to declare his long suit 
had he opened with a spade. While, when unsuccess¬ 
ful (as such bids generally are), their capacity for 
harm is unlimited. 

Differences of opinion, however, will always exist, 
but on the principle of “most good and least harm,” 
it seems more logical to advocate, especially for gen¬ 
eral usage, that an original call of Two should always 
indicate both strength and length. 


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149 


VARIETIES OF NO-TRUMPERS. 

No-Trumpers Not Always the 
Common or Garden Variety. 

Most players have a pretty fair idea of what would 
constitute an ordinary no-trump declaration — three 
aces; two aces and a guarded king, etc.; this formula 
they know by heart. 

Players of moderate force, however, are not quite 
so clear when it comes to no-trumpers not measured 
by this standard, and a little explanation may clear the 
mental atmosphere of complaining partners so that 
they may be brought to see that there is a reason for 
everything, though sometimes difficult of demonstra¬ 
tion. 

The Two Suiter No-Trump. 

Take what is commonly known as a Club or Dia¬ 
mond no-trumper where holding great length and 
strength in a low suit, together with an outside ace, 
such as * AKQ Jxx; ♦ xx A A x x; V x x, 
an original no-trump is called instead of the suit. 

There is a reason for this — in fact, two reasons: 
one is that only three tricks are necessary for game 
instead of five; the other is that the chances for cap¬ 
turing the declaration and scoring game are logically 
better where the force is hidden and the adversaries 
caught with divided strength, with which neither one 
cares to risk a bid of two. 


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150 

Varieties of 
No-Trumpers. 

A bid of One in the suit will give adversaries a 
cheap opportunity to discover their mutual strength; 
while, should Two or more in the minor suit be called, 
it serves to warn them that game may be in danger if 
they allow partner of original bidder to call and play 
no-trump. Thus adverse bidding is started to prevent 
a no-trump, if possible; or, at least, to furnish indica¬ 
tions that may save the game. 

The foregoing recites the advantage of the no-trump 
call with one strong suit — the disadvantage would 
be in having an adversary overcall with two no-trump, 
in which case partner has received no indication for 
the attack. In addition, there must be considered the 
possibility of a partner deeming it his duty to take the 
no-trump out from weakness, or bidding a suit he 
would not otherwise have bid. 

Blocking or Bluff No-Trumpers. 

A practice in great favor among “ forward players ” 
is the Bluff, or blocking declaration of no-trump. By 
“ Forward player ” is meant one who believes in ag¬ 
gressive tactics; where, lacking a sound make or in¬ 
formative call, instead of passing, he tries to block 
a no-trump call from opponent by bidding it first. In¬ 
asmuch as a bid of one is rarely doubled, there is no 
great risk of loss; while, on the other hand, should his 
bluff succeed he may save game, or with strong cards 
in the hands of partner, may even make game. 

Following along this line, it becomes evident that 


SPECIAL ARTICLES 


I5i 

Varieties of 
No-Trumpers. 

original no-trumpers called by “ forward players ” 
should always be regarded with a certain amount of 
suspicion and never considered seriously by their part¬ 
ners, on the first round, to mean more than an exag¬ 
gerated one spade. The best rule for partners to 
follow is to bid their hands wholly irrespective of such 
original no-trump (unless they prefer it played as 
such) or as though the no-trump had been called by 
an opponent. This rule admits of the best results 
being obtained from this manner of bidding. 

Holding a few scattered tricks but no suit call, in¬ 
formative or otherwise, argues the existence (some¬ 
where around the table) of a no-trump hand, and if 
this should be held by an opponent, a bluff one no- 
trump may block this declaration and cause opponent 
to call two in a suit, in which game is by no means as 
certain as it would have been had he been allowed to 
call and play a no-trump. On the other hand, if the 
no-trump is held by partner, it is certainly no great 
disadvantage to allow the opponents to believe that the 
concealed hand is stronger than is actually the case. 

Advice to Partners. 

On the first round of bidding, unless holding a no- 
trump himself, the partner of original no-trumper 
should never presume that the original no-trump was 
bid on great general strength. It may have been bid 
on a bluff, a Two-Suiter, or with a strong Heart or 
Royal in hand. Therefore the safest course to pur¬ 
sue, especially on the first round and with opposition 


SPECIAL ARTICLES 


152 

Varieties of 
No-Trumpers. 

coming from Second Hand, is to bid any major suit 
declaration in hand, otherwise pass. The Second 
Round will develop the strength, if any, of the original 
no-trumper. 

The great danger in declarations of this character 
lies in a partner taking too literally original declara¬ 
tions of no-trump which may mean anything or noth¬ 
ing— (By “nothing” is meant a “blocking” bid). 
However, it is by such subtle methods of bidding that 
Auction is lifted from the ruts of cut-and-dried decla¬ 
rations and games saved or won which are not other¬ 
wise in the cards. 

DEFENSIVE AND OFFENSIVE 
TACTICS: 

THEIR EQUAL IMPORTANCE. 

As has been said. Auction is an offensive, not a de¬ 
fensive game, but a player cannot always attack, nor 
can he always play the hand. Sound defensive tactics 
are quite as important as are sound offensive ones. 
After the first round of more or less informative bids, 
partners should be able to draw correct inferences as 
to their chance for game. If not holding a combina¬ 
tion strong enough to win game they should aim to 
save it, or to exact penalties from their opponents, 
rather than try to capture the bid and play the hand, 
for an unimportant addition to the score. 


SPECIAL ARTICLES 


153 

Defensive and 
Offensive Tactics. 

Subsequent bids and their persistence, or bids by 
players whose partners have shown weakness by pass¬ 
ing , are usually based upon one of three major motives 
only, viz.: 

(1) GAME, i. e.— Three tricks in no-trump; four 
tricks in Hearts or Royals; five tricks in Clubs 
or Diamonds; or, if the score is already ad¬ 
vanced, the number of tricks in any make to 
reach the 30 points necessary for game. 
Hands containing these possibilities would be 
too obvious to comment upon. 

(2) FLAG-FLYING, i. e.— Deliberate insistence 
in a declaration clearly beyond all probability 
of making contract (if left in) in order to 
prevent the opponents (who would otherwise 
go game) from capturing the declaration ex¬ 
cept at prohibitive figures. 

(a) While this is one of the recognized tac¬ 
tics of the game, the bidder should not 
risk heavy penalties (say, in excess of 
200) wholly out of proportion to the 
value of the game otherwise losL 

(b) Should results prove the game never to 
have been in danger, the poor judgment 
exhibited by the insistent bidder, in tak¬ 
ing a loss under these circumstances, 
would and should merit severe disap¬ 
proval of partner, who must equally 


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154 

Defensive and 
Offensive Tactics. 

shoulder this reckless disregard of con¬ 
sequences. 

(3) PUSHING, i. e.— Bids calculated to push op¬ 
ponents over the border line of certainty that 
they will make contract. This is a very praise¬ 
worthy proceeding, provided: 

(a) That the pushing bid is not carried be¬ 
yond ability of bidder to make his own 
contract; 

(b) Should he overbid his hand; then he 
must have a reasonable belief, almost a 
certainty, that opponents will overbid 
theirs if they go any further. 

(c) Should opponents thus overbid: there 
must then exist the possibility of the 
bidder defeating their contract. Should 
this possibility be non-existent, then the 
bidder could have had no definite object 
or purpose in pushing opponents and 
subjecting partner to danger of loss, in¬ 
asmuch as there was everything to lose 
and nothing to gain thereby. 

THE HIGH SPADE CALLS. 

There are some special conventions, advocated by 
Milton Work, for the purpose of asking the partner 


SPECIAL ARTICLES 


155 


The 

High Spade Calls. 

to choose between two declarations, either of which 
would equally suit the high-spade bidder. These bids 
are not permitted in some of the leading clubs, because 
they require a previous understanding with the partner 
as to their meaning and are not based on any principle 
of play. 

Three Spades. 

Shows five or more hearts, without the ace (usu¬ 
ally without the king either) and enough 
tricks on the side to support a no-trumper, 
such as an ace and a king-queen suit. [When 
the “ High-Spade ” bids are not used, “ three 
spades ” refers to the spade suit; not to the 
hearts. (See Convention No. 3, p. 8.] 

Four Spades. 

The same holding in the spade suit that the three- 
spade bid shows in Hearts. 

Five Spades. 

(a) Shows a willingness to play either Hearts or 
Royals for trumps, whichever better suits 
the partner, but asks him not to bid no- 
trumps. 

(b) If the partner has already bid a trick in Clubs, 
Diamonds or no-trumps, five spades means 
weakness in the declared suit, but strength 
enough to play either hearts or royals. 


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156 

The 

High Spade Calls. 

(c) If the opponents have already bid a suit, five 
spades shows strength enough for a no- 
trumper in all suits but the one just declared, 
and at least five sure tricks in hand. 

Six Spades. 

(a) Shows a willingness to play either hearts or 
no-trumps, but not royals. 

(b) If the partner has already bid no-trump, six 
spades shows help for the no-trumper, but an 
inclination to shift to hearts. 

(c) If the partner has already bid any suit but 
hearts, six spades shows a weakness in the 
suit declared, but strength enough to support 
a shift to hearts or no-trumps. 

(d) If the opponent has bid two clubs over your 
partner’s no-trump, six spades shows help for 
the no-trumper, but no stopper in clubs. 

(e) If an opponent has dealt and bid two clubs, 
six spades shows strength in everything but 
clubs. 

Seven Spades. 

(a) Shows a willingness to play royals or no- 
trumps ; but not hearts. 

(b) If your partner has bid no-trump, seven spades 
shows a helping hand, but suggests a shift to 
royals. 


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157 
The 

High Spade Calls. 

(c) If your partner has bid any suit but royals, 
seven spades shows there is no assistance in 
the suit named, but enough for a royal or no- 
trumps. 

(d) If an opponent has overcalled your partner’s 
no-trump with two diamonds, seven spades 
shows help for the no-trumper, but no stopper 
in diamonds. 

(e) If an opponent deals and starts with two dia¬ 
monds, seven spades shows strength in all the 
suits except the diamonds, such as five sure 
tricks in the hand. 


THE NULLO. 


The Nullo is not a new game of Auction Bridge — 
it is merely an added bid and is a contract to lose 
tricks at no-trump. The number of tricks bid is the 
number over the book that the bidder undertakes to 
compel the opponents to win. The Nullo is primarily 
a defensive bid, especially against no-trumps, and 
chiefly for that reason is given the same value as a no- 
trumper, but negatively. 


Value of Nullos in 

Royal Spades Auction Bridge. 

Each trick under seven. io 

Little Slam (if one trick only is taken). 20 

Grand Slam (if no tricks are taken). 40 

Honors . None 


(a) One no-trump overbids One Nullo. 

(b) Should adversaries revoke, declarer has option 
of giving adversaries Three tricks or taking 
100 above the line. 

(c) Should declarer revoke, adversaries take the 
usual 100 above the line. 

158 






THE NULLO 


159 


THE BIDDING. 

It is a No-Trump Reversed. 

In bidding Nullos a player does not necessarily 
either contract or expect to lose all the tricks any more 
than he would contract or expect to win all the tricks 
had he bid no-trump. Neither does a player wait until 
he holds all the low cards in the pack before he ven¬ 
tures to bid Nullos, any more than he would wait to 
hold all four suits before he bid no-trump; if he did, 
there would be few Nullos or no-trumps called. It 
is not important in either case that declarer should 
take all the tricks — only enough to make game — the 
opponents are welcome to the balance. 

The Contract is Never Obtained Cheaply. 

All Nullos are bid upon the assumption that the 
contract will never be obtained for less than Two or 
Three, seldom as cheaply as Two. However, the 
higher opponents go with a no-trumper, the safer it 
usually is to persist with a Nullo against them; but 
it is not equally safe to force up a trump declaration 
unless well defended with low cards in the declared 
suit. 

Hands Suitable for Nullos. 

Any player, except the Dealer, is quite free to bid 
one or more Nullos on the first round of bidding pro¬ 
viding he holds a hand above the average in low cards . 


THE NULLO 


160 
The 

Bidding. 

Singletons and missing suits are particularly valua¬ 
ble in Nullos, especially in the concealed hand, as they 
afford excellent opportunities for advantageous dis¬ 
cards. 

Three small cards, such as the 2 4 and 5 with or 
without any higher ones, is considered quite as safe 
to lose every trick at Nullos as the A K Q, with or 
without others, is considered safe to win every trick 
at no-trump. 

No long suit without the deuce is safe. 

The dangerous cards are the 6 7 8 9 and 10. 
Holding nothing under or over, the suit neither 
can be ducked nor controlled. 

Conventions. 

As the Nullo is seldom or never bid by the Dealer 
because of the wwinformatory nature of this call as to 
his long suits, there has practically been no change 
whatsoever in the Conventions, original or otherwise, 
except a slight modification as to the meaning of an 
original call of Two in the minor suits. The invita¬ 
tions for Nullos are, therefore, restricted to this one 
call and to that of the Dealer’s One Spade. 

WHERE DEALER HAS DECLARED 
ONE SPADE. 

99. If Dealer Bids One Spade, Partner May Safely 
Bid a Nullo. 


THE NULLO 


161 
The 

Bidding. • 

Third Hand should not persist in this bid unless 
dealer assists. The dealer’s refusal to assist 
shows that although he has a Spade hand to 
start with, it is not a good supporting hand 
for Nullo. 

TWO CLUBS OR TWO DIAMONDS. 

100. Indicates Control of Both Ends of Suit Bid, 
either for a No-Trump or a Nullo (A K Q 
5 4 2). 

This call has now a double signification and either 
One or Three must be called with A K Q 8 
7 6 suits (wholly unsuitable for Nullos) to 
show their availability for no-trump only, as 
no long suit lacking the deuce is safe. 

Supporting Bids. 

The inferences from supporting bids are compara¬ 
tively simple. When one partner bids no-trump and 
the other holds a solid suit, it is a fair assumption 
that the no-trump bidder has a protection in the three 
others. 

Just so in Nullos: When one partner bids Nullos, 
and the other holds command of the small cards in 
any suit, he assumes his partner to be safe in the three 
others. 


THE NULLO 


162 


THE PLAY. 

Confessedly there are as yet no conventions of play. 
The general principles (of play) given herewith are 
conceded to obtain the best results. To play all Nullo 
hands well is not easy, and there should be no delusion 
that Nullos will operate to equalize disparities of skill 
between players. On the contrary, players who now 
find themselves at some disadvantage would be at a 
still greater disadvantage were Nullos a part of the 
game. 

IN PLAYING AGAINST A NULLO. 

In playing against a Nullo the chief objective is to 
prevent the declarer from getting advantageous dis¬ 
cards and for the adversaries to give them to each 
other. In line with this policy, 

The Adversaries Should: 

Lead suits in which one partner is long and the 
other short. When both are short in the same 
suit, it is useless to pursue it unless certain 
to force tricks on the declarer. 

Lead suits upon which the exposed hand at least 
cannot discard, whatever the concealed hand 
may do. 

Avoid as long as possible leading suits ending in 
two cards below five. 

If possible, avoid leading cards which are safe 


THE NULLO 163 

The 

Play. 

until the time comes to give the dummy or 
declarer the rest of the tricks. 

OPENING ATTACKS AGAINST 
A NULLO. 

Top of a Short Suit. 

Holding only two, J 4, for instance, lead the 
higher first in order to get rid of the lead 
on the next round and be ready to discard 
on the third. 

An Intermediate Card of Three or Four. 

Holding Q 7 4 or A K 7 3, lead the 7 first. 

It is conventional to drop two high cards to¬ 
gether on the same trick whenever possible, 
such as the ace from one partner, king from 
the other. 

If a trick must be won, win with it the highest 
card in hand. 

If a player drops a nine under his partner’s ace, 
it should be a certainty that he has no card 
above the nine unless he is keeping a card 
of re-entry so as to control the lead later on. 

PLAY BY DECLARER. 

In PLAYING a NULLO, the declarer must not be 
hasty in taking tricks that may be escaped by waiting. 

Holding Q 8 3, for instance, if the jack is already 
on the trick and played by an adversary, do 


THE NULLO 


164 

The 
Play. 

not win with the queen and lead the eight, 
or you may win both. Play the eight, and if 
the suit is led, again play the three. You may 
be able to get rid of the queen or at least win 
only that one trick. 

As a rule, it is bad policy for the declarer to win 
the first round of any suit in which he holds 
four cards unless the trick must be won in 
one hand or the other. Holding A 10 6 2, 
if any card below the 10 is led, play the 6; 
not the 10 or ace. Four-card suits of this 
character usually escape without winning a 
single trick if properly handled. 

When a smalt card is led through declarer or his 
dummy, his best play is an intermediate card 
if the suit is not safe, such as the 7 from Q 
7 3 or the 10 from K 10 2. This enables the 
declarer to control the suit if he has to win 
the second round, as he can throw the lead on 
the third. The adversaries will often be 
obliged to overtake the intermediate card 
played to the first round, in order to protect 
themselves. 

The hunching of high cards upon tricks declarer 
is forced to zvin, should he a fairly obvious 
proceeding. The A Q in declarer's hand and 
K J in dummy, will win hut two tricks pro¬ 
viding there are no other cards, or rather trick- 
taking cards, with them. 


PART II 


CONVENTIONS OF PLAY 



CONVENTIONS 
OF PLAY 

ADVERSARIES’ PLAY. 

The leads and play against a Trump declaration are 
planned with the object of getting home all the tricks 
possible before the declarer gets discards, and the cen¬ 
tral idea is to make all the aces and kings before they 
can be trumped. Against a no-trump, the idea is to 
establish the small cards of a long suit, because the 
presumption is that most of the aces and kings are 
against you in the hand of the declarer. 

THE COMMON CONVENTIONS. 

Many players, especially those who but recently be¬ 
gan the game and to whom the Conventions are only 
hearsay, venerate and quote certain hoary antiquities 
that have little or no application to the modern game 
of Auction Bridge, where the play of the hand is gov¬ 
erned almost entirely by the bidding and the cards ex¬ 
posed in the dummy. 

The Conventions most frequently quoted, all of 
which have come down to us from old-fashioned 
Whist, are “ Cover an Honor with an Honor,” “ Re¬ 
turn your Partner’s Lead,” “ Second Hand Low ” and 
“ Third Hand High.” 


167 


168 


CONVENTIONS OF PLAY 


The Common 
Conventions. 

The elementary convention, the foundation on which 
rests the whole fabric of play, is: 

1. Lead Through Strength and Up to Weakness. 

When Third Hand takes the first trick, he should 
search for the weakness in dummy and lead 
a forcing card up to it if his hand can afford 
it. Partner, should he win the trick, will then 
lead through any high cards in dummy. By 
repeating these manoeuvres as often as allowed, 
the combined hands are played to their great¬ 
est advantage. (See Third Hand play, p. 
181.) 

2. Cover an Honor with an Honor. 

Only when it makes good a card or cards in hand 
or when there is a reasonable presumption 
that it will do so in the hand of partner. 

The old rule holds good when you have a four- 
chette over the card led. A fourchette is the 
card above and below the card led, such as 
K J when a queen is led, or io 8 when a g 
is led. An imperfect fourchette is the card 
above and next but one below, such as K io 
when a queen is led. ALWAYS COVER 
WITH A FOURCHETTE, however small. 

3. Return Your Partner’s Lead. 

To return partner’s first lead of a small card in a 
trump make (unless it was a singleton) is 


CONVENTIONS OF PLAY 


169 

The Common 
Conventions. 

probably the last thing he desires. Always 
bear in mind that he would not, avoidably, 
lead away from kings and queens or from im¬ 
portant combinations of high cards, but that 
he relies upon his partner to lead up to them 
at every opportunity. 

4. Second Hand Low. 

There are too many exceptions to this rule to make 
it any longer a safe guide, when a small card 
is led. 

The safest convention for the beginner is to play 
a high card Second Hand when he holds any 
combination from which he would lead a high 
card. With a combination which he would 
not care to lead from at all, or would lead a 
low card if forced to open the suit, such as 
K 6 3, he should play the low card Second 
Hand on a small card led. 

5. Third Hand High. 

This ancient maxim is very misleading, because 
the Third Hand does not play his highest 
cards when he has lower ones in sequence 
with them. The rule is to win the trick as 
cheaply as possible. Holding K Q J, play the 
jack. If he plays the king he denies the 
queen, and if he plays the queen, he denies 
the jack. t 


CONVENTIONS OF PLAY 


170 

The Common 
Conventions. 

The card led, together with the cards in dummy, 
provide indications for all plays, as, for in¬ 
stance, should your partner lead the jack of 
a suit in which Third Hand holds the ace, the 
queen or king being in the dummy, to play 
your ace, unless the jack is covered in dummy, 
would give two tricks in that suit to the 
adversary. 


THE LEADS. 

THE SELECTION OF A SUIT TO LEAD. 

There are two considerations governing the opening 
lead: the first is the selection of a suit, and the second 
is the card to lead from that suit. The selection of a 
suit depends upon two things: the bidding, and the 
leader’s own strength, and the choice of suit as af¬ 
fected by the bidding, should be the first consideration; 
therefore: 

AGAINST A TRUMP WHEN NEITHER 
PARTNER HAS DECLARED. 

The Choice of Suit and Card is Governed by 
Leader’s Own Strength. 

See “The Card to Lead ” (p. 173). 


CONVENTIONS OF PLAY 


171 

The 

Leads. 


AGAINST A NO-TRUMP WHEN NEITHER 

PARTNER HAS DECLARED. 

Lead Longest Suit. 

(a) See “ The Card to Lead.” 

(b) It is a mistake to lead a short suit because it 
is stronger. Holding, say, AKxorAQxx 
and another suit such asQxxxxorJxx 
x x, always lead the long suit first and keep 
the short one for re-entry. If the short suit 
is led first, the hand is dead. 

AGAINST A TRUMP WHEN LEADER 

ONLY HAS DECLARED. 

The Choice of Suit and Card is Governed by 

Leader’s Own Strength. 

See “The Card to Lead ” (p. 173). 

AGAINST A NO-TRUMP WHEN LEADER 

HAS DECLARED. 

The Suit Declared Should Always be Led. 

(a) See “ The Card to Lead ” p. 173). 

(b) Partner may be basing his plans to defeat the 
no-trumper on that suit’s being opened. 

(c) This is always provided that dummy and 
declarer have not shown strength in his suit, 
or that he has not a better suit to open with. 


CONVENTIONS OF PLAY 


172 

The 

Leads. 

AGAINST A TRUMP WHERE PARTNER 

ONLY HAS DECLARED. 

Lead Highest Card of Partner’s Suit. 

(a) If partner has named a suit, lead him the best 
card of it regardless of number. The only 
exception to this rule is when the leader holds 
both ace and king of his own suit. In that 
case he should lead the king, showing that he 
can get in again with the ace later; and for 
the second trick, lead the best card he holds 
of his partner’s suit. 

(b) It is often advisable, especially when able to 
stop the trump suit, to lead any singleton in 
hand before leading partner’s suit. No sub¬ 
sequent lead of this singleton will so clearly 
show it. 

AGAINST A NO-TRUMP WHERE PARTNER 

ONLY HAS DECLARED. 

Lead Highest Card of Partner’s Suit. 

(a) However, should the leader hold some long 
suit which he has not declared and it would 
appear that the re-entries are all in his hand, 
it would be policy for leader to establish his 
own suit first, especially when holding but one 
or two cards of partner’s suit — declarer will 
be forced eventually to lead that suit himself. 


CONVENTIONS OF PLAY 173 

The 

Leads. 

(b) Holding the ace or king, third or fourth of 
partner’s suit, it is often good play to attempt 
to catch the no-trumpers’ stopper in partner’s 
suit by leading a small card of the suit. 

AGAINST EITHER A TRUMP OR NO- 
TRUMP WHERE LEADER AND 
PARTNER HAVE BOTH DECLARED. 

Lead Highest Card of Partner’s Suit. 

(a) The practice here is practically the same as 
“ Where partner only has declared.” The 
difference would be, however, that leader hav¬ 
ing named a suit in the bidding, he does not 
have to show it by leading. 

Therefore, unless leader’s suit is established, 
or has only the ace out against it, he should 
lead partner’s suit, and allow partner to lead 
the leader’s suit through the declarer. 

THE CARD TO LEAD. 

The Leads are usually divided into two classes: high 
cards and low cards. The high cards are the five 
honors, viz., A K Q J 10, and the lead of each should 
have a distinct meaning and be made with a view to 
accomplishing a definite purpose. 

The best opening leads are from suits headed by the 
ace and king, as they hold the lead until dummy’s cards 


CONVENTIONS OF PLAY 


174 

The 
Leads. 

are exposed, and next in value comes the top of any 
two honors in sequence such as the K Q; Q J, etc. 
Players are cautioned, however, to note the difference 
existing between the play against a trump declaration, 
and that of a no-trump. 

THE ACE LEAD (Against a Trump). 

Indicates: 

(1) Two Cards only of Suit, Such as A K or A 
x; or, 

(2) A Suit too Long to Risk Leading Away from 
the Ace; orf 

(3) The A Q J or A J 10. 

( 1 ) The ace followed by the king shows no more 
in the suit and a desire to ruff the third round. 
The ace followed by a small card frequently 
means the same thing. 

( 2 ) It is seldom policy to lead an ace without sup¬ 
porting honors and risk clearing entire suit 
for declarer, unless well protected in trumps. 
If unwilling to lead away from the ace, lead 
some other suit or lead trumps. 

( 3 ) When forced to lead from A Q J or A J 10 , 
lead the ace first and follow with the queen in 
the first case, and with the jack in the second; 
to follow with the lower of the two cards in 
sequence denies the higher. 


CONVENTIONS OF PLAY 


175 
The 
Leads. 

THE ACE LEAD (Against No-Trump). 

Indicates: 

( 1 ) A K to Seven in Suit with or without Card of 
Re-entry; or 

(2) Ace to Seven or More, with Card of Re-en¬ 
try; or 

(3) Top of A Q J or A J 10 Suit, with Card of 
Re-entry. 

The lead of an ace invites partner to unblock 
and is a conventional demand for his highest 
card of the suit led. 

( 1 ) Holding A K x x x x x, it is assumed that the 
remaining six cards of the suit will be equally 
divided. 

( 2 ) Never lead an ace unless provided with sure 
card of re-entry. From A x x x x x x, and 
no card of re-entry, lead fourth-best. (See 
p. 197.) 

( 3 ) Do not count upon partner holding more than 
two cards of your long suit. Therefore, 
avoid leading the ace (or king) from A K 
x x x x, or the ace from A Q J x x x suits 
when lacking sure cards of re-entry. The ob¬ 
ject should be to force the queen, or king, and 
still leave partner with a card of the suit to 
return. 


176 CONVENTIONS OF PLAY 

The 

Leads. 

If reference be made to Convention No. 4, 
p. 190 (Declarer’s Play of a no-trump), it will 
be found that the two situations are analo¬ 
gous. 

THE KING LEAD (Against a Trump). 

Indicates: 

( 1 ) Either the Ace or Queen 

( 2 ) Or Both. 

(1) Always lead the king if it is accompanied by 
the card next in value. This is one of the 
most important conventions of the game, be¬ 
cause the king is led more often than any 
other high card and, also, because it presents 
the best opportunity for partner’s down-and- 
out echo (see p. 195). 

(2) Having led the king from A K Q, follow with 
the queen. 

If the king is led from A K J x, and queen 
does not show in dummy, wait for partner to 
lead through declarer. 

Avoid leading a singleton king; because, un¬ 
less led, there is always a possibility of its 
making . 


CONVENTIONS OF PLAY 


177 
The 
Leads. 

THE KING LEAD (Against a No-Trump). 

Indicates Usually Three Honors: 

( 1 ) A Suit Headed by the A K Q; or A K J. 

( 2 ) A Suit Headed by the K Q J or K Q 10 ; or 
a Suit of Six or More Headed by the K Q. 

(1) The lead of a king at no-trump indicates usu¬ 
ally the A K Q, the A K Q J or the A K J x, 
etc.— 

(2) Against no-trumpers, the best players do not 
lead an honor with only two in sequence un¬ 
less from suits of six or more. If the king 
is led from KQ ioxxorKOxxxx and 
wins, the second lead should be the fourth- 
best (see p. 197). 

Avoid playing the king from a short A K x 
suit merely to see the dummy. 

THE QUEEN LEAD (Against a Trump). 

Indicates Top of Queen-Jack Suit. 

This is sometimes a useful lead if partner holds 
the ace and the king is found in dummy. 

Holding Q J 10, lead the queen. 

Avoid leading the queen from Q x. It may 
he valuable in stopping the suit if led by de¬ 
clarer, besides there is always a chance of its 
making if not led . 


178 CONVENTIONS OF PLAY 

The 

Leads. 

THE QUEEN LEAD (Against No-Trump). 
Indicates: 

(1) Top of Q J 10 Suit; or 

(2) A Q J Suit and no Re-entry. 

(1) Playing against no-trump, the queen is never 
led from the Q J x x x — it is only recom¬ 
mended with six or more in suit. Neverthe¬ 
less, some players make a practice of leading 
the queen from the Q J g x x. 

(2) See Par. 3, p. 175. 

THE JACK LEAD (Against a Trump). 

Indicates: 

(1) The Top of Jack-ten Suit; or 

(2) The Top of J x x or J x Suit. 

(1-2) This is usually to avoid leads from other 
suits headed by honors not in sequence. 

THE JACK LEAD (Against No-Trump). 

Indicates: 

(1) Top of J 10 9 x x or J 10 8 x x x; or 

(2) A J 10 Suit without Re-entry. 


CONVENTIONS OF PLAY 


179 

The 
Leads. 

THE TEN LEAD (Against a Trump). 

Indicates: 

( 1 ) Top of 10 9 Suit; or 

( 2 ) K J 10 Suit. 

(1-2) The drop of the cards and the exposed 
dummy will clearly show partner which it is. 

THE TEN LEAD (Against a No-Trump). 
Indicates: 

( 1 ) Top of 10 9 8 Suit to Four or More; or 

( 2 ) K J 10 Suit to Four or More. 

(1-2) Gives the same indication as the Ten lead 
against a Trump. 

THE SMALL CARD LEAD (Against a Trump). 
Indicates: 

( 1 ) Top of Nothing; or 

( 2 ) Bottom of Suit Containing Single Honor or 
Honors not in Sequence. 

(1) In opening suits without an honor, always 
lead the high card first. In a Three-Card 
suit, such as 7 4 2, lead the 7 and follow with 
the 4, so as to be marked with the 2. 


i8o 

The 

Leads. 


CONVENTIONS OF PLAY 


(2) From K 6 5 2, lead the two; this places an 
honor in the suit and distinguishes it from 
8652. 

Avoid, if possible, leading from single honors 
not in sequence. Combinations such as A Q 
10; A Q; A J; K J p; etc., should be led to, 
not from. 

THE SMALL CARD LEAD (Against a 
No-Trump). 

Indicates Fourth-best of Long Suit. 

The Fourth-Best (card) is called the card of uni¬ 
formity (see p. 197). 

While the lead of a small card does not deny two 
honors in sequence, it does deny three honors. 
From, say, A K 10 6 4 or K Q 8 6 5, lead the 
6. If the king is led from K Q 10 5 4 or from 
K Q 8 5 4 2, follow with the original Fourth- 
Best, the 5, unless J is in the dummy un¬ 
guarded. 

THE LEAD OF A TRUMP. 

Indicates that all Three Plain Suits are Headed 
by Honors not in Sequence. 

This lead almost invariably informs partner of 
high cards in all three plain suits. Holding, 
say, A Q in one suit, K J in another and 


CONVENTIONS OF PLAY 


181 


The 

Leads. 

four to a queen in a third, the trump lead is 
the best defensive opening. Partner can now 
lead his best supporting cards up to dummy 
with absolute confidence. This trump open¬ 
ing is too- much neglected by the average 
player. 


THIRD HAND PLAY. 

RETURN LEADS. 

There are two principal objects to be kept in view 
by the Third Hand in returning his partner’s lead, and 
they are about the same whether playing against a 
Trump or a no-trumper. The first is to protect the 
partner’s suit, and the second is to lead up to weak¬ 
ness in the dummy. 

Partner Having Led an Honor: 

If the partner has started with the king and forced 
out the ace, he is marked with the queen. Therefore, 
if Third Hand holds the jack and gets into the lead, 
he must play the jack regardless of number and suit, 
otherwise the leader will place that card with the de¬ 
clarer. 

Should, however, Third Hand hold an ace-king suit 
of his own, he must play the king before returning his 
partner’s suit; or, should Third Hand hold a king- 
queen suit of his own, it is usually preferable to estab- 


CONVENTIONS OF PLAY 


182 

Third 

Hand Play. 

lish the queen as a trick before returning partner’s 
lead, provided partner’s suit is established. 

Should the Leader, having Declared One Suit, 

Lead Another: 

In this case Third Hand’s return lead of declared 
suit depends upon his own holding in the suit and the 
cards showing in dummy. 

He must promptly play his highest card of partner’s 
suit under either of the following conditions: 

1. Should the ace of Partner’s suit show in 
dummy, partner probably holds the K J 10 
x x; or 

2. Should neither ace nor king show in dummy, 
partner probably holds the A Q x x x, and 
declarer the king. 

But should the king show in dummy, partner prob¬ 
ably holds the A Q x x x, and there is no pressing 
need to play the suit other than to save game or to 
invite partner to play through dummy’s strength in 
some other suit. 

Should the queen show in dummy and Third Hand 
hold neither the ace nor king, partner probably holds 
either A J xxxor K Jxx x, and to lead this suit 
risks setting up two tricks therein for declarer. 


CONVENTIONS OF PLAY 


183 

Third 
Hand Play. 

The First Consideration is to Save Game. 

One of the most glaring errors is to miss an oppor¬ 
tunity to play for certain cards in partner’s hand that 
will save game. Therefore, Third Hand should not 
continue to lead a suit, even though established, to the 
point where declarer trumps it, unless it is his delib¬ 
erate policy to weaken declarer in trumps. Should 
Third Hand hold a K Q suit he should play the king 
at once or with no suit of his own to establish he 
should lead up to dummy’s weakness, to establish a 
trick (or tricks) for partner. 

Take the following illustration: 

V K x x x 
4 » K x x 

♦ Qxx 

♦ K x x 

Y I V Qxx 

♦ B * Aloxxx 
♦ Jxx 

Z _ A x x 

V x x x 

4 * x x 

♦ A K 10 x x 
A x x x 

Z deals and declares a diamond; A wins the final 
declaration with Royals, and Y leads the queen of 
Diamonds; Z takes the second trick with the king of 


¥ A x x 
* Q Jx 

♦ X X 

A A'Q J 10 x 



CONVENTIONS OF PLAY 


184 
Third 

Hand Play. 

Diamonds, but should he now lead the ace, A makes 
four tricks and game, while if he leads a Heart, A 
can only make three-odd, and game is saved. 

Beating Dummy. 

In opening a new suit, Third Hand, holding Two 
honors in sequence, should lead one of them through 
declarer up to dummy’s weakness. In any case, he 
should beat the dummy wherever possible. Holding 
such a suit as the K 10 7 3, dummy with the 942, 
the proper play is the 10, because it beats the dummy. 

If there is no distinct weakness in the dummy, and 
holding such cards of a suit as the 10 6 3, dummy 
having A 9 5, the lead of the 10 may force the ace; 
or, holding the A J over dummy’s queen, the Third 
Hand may lead small and take a chance that partner 
has the king and can come through dummy’s queen. 

Usually, it is bad policy to lead up to guarded kings 
or queens in the dummy, but tricks are necessary to 
defeat declarer, and unestablished cards must be 
established before they become tricks. Therefore, if 
partner does not hold the cards sought for, the game 
is lost anyhow and no harm can come in trying to 
establish tricks. Rather, harm comes from not mak¬ 
ing this effort. 


DECLARER’S PLAY. 


WITH A TRUMP. 

The moment a card is led and the dummy hand goes 
down, the declarer should carefully estimate the pos¬ 
sibilities of the combined hands. After counting the 
number of sure tricks in the two hands, he should 
count the number of cards in each suit and eliminate 
at once suits wherein there can exist no possibility of 
making extra tricks. 

By confining his attention solely to possibilities, the 
proper plan of procedure will at once become appar¬ 
ent. Take as an illustration this combination: The 
declaration is Two Hearts, and the king of Clubs is 
led. 

Dummy: ¥ 8 7 4, * 4 3 2, ♦ A Q J 7 3, A Q 10. 

Declarer: V A Q J 6 2, ^ A J 6, ♦ 9 4 2, A J 6. 

Outside of the ace of Clubs the trick possibilities 
of the combined hands lies wholly between the two 
red suits and, had Clubs not been led, the declarer 
must avoid at all hazards touching that suit. How¬ 
ever, the Club king having been led, the declarer 
should hold off in order to make both the ace and 
jack in case the Club is led again. This is called the 
Bath coup. 


185 


DECLARER’S PLAY 


186 

With a 
Trump. 

Going game here depends upon finding at least one 
of the red kings where it can be caught by finessing 
(see p. 193) ; therefore, as soon as declarer gets in, 
either with a Club, or by trumping a Spade, he must 
lead a Diamond to the A Q J in dummy. Should the 
finesse be successful he must lead a small Heart from 
dummy to the A Q J in hits own hand. 

By repeating this manner of play, the king in each 
suit will finally be caught, provided they lie on the 
side where the ace is over them. In the actual game, 
the declarer made a little slam finding the king of 
Diamonds on his left, and the king of Hearts on his 
right. 

Five Ways of Playing a Hand. 

The great charm of Auction is the opportunity of¬ 
fered to display whatever skill a player may possess 
in the proper play of a hand. As two hands are never 
quite the same they cannot successfully be played in 
the same manner, nor can one always carry out the 
original scheme without being forced to drop it and 
adopt another. 

The five primary methods of play which, taken 
singly or in combination, obtain the best results are: 

1 . When the Hands Contain a Strong Long Suit 
Exhaust the Trumps. 

With a strong suit good for four or five tricks 
the chief danger is that the adversaries will 


DECLARER’S PLAY 


187 

With a 
Trump. 

ruff the suit; therefore their trumps should 
be taken out at once. (See exception noted 
in No. 4.) 

Don't lead a losing trump to take out the last 
trump in the adversary's hand, unless his win¬ 
ning trump threatens your re-entry into the 
dummy. 

2 . With no Suit to Defend or Establish, Nothing 
is Gained by Leading Trumps. 

To lead trumps risks being able to make nothing 
but the trumps. Allow the adversaries to 
play the hand and they will invariably make 
errors that will be good for one or more tricks 
for declarer. 

Don't take a finesse of A Q in dummy on the 
opening lead unless absolutely compelled. 
Either pass the trick up entirely, or make sure 
of the trick by playing the ace. 

3 . When Dummy Can Ruff a Suit, Employ His 
Trumps for that Purpose—Do not Lead Them 
at Once. 

Always avoid drawing Two Trumps at a time 
when the trumps in the weaker hand can be 
made separately. Take any reasonable risk 
that will enable you to ruff out losing cards 
before leading trumps. 


i 88 


DECLARER’S PLAY 


With a 
Trump. 

Don’t take unnecessary chances zvhen game is on 
the table. Even if successful, such play is 
not brilliant — it is both weak and stupid. 

4. Get Rid of Losing Cards at the First Opportu¬ 
nity and Before Leading an Unestablished 
Trump Suit. 

It frequently happens that one hand or the other 
contains losing cards that cannot be gotten rid 
of except by discarding them at once upon 
winning cards and before any attempt is made 
to take out the trumps. Take this illustra¬ 
tion: the declaration is Two Royals, and the 
king of Hearts is led. 

Dummy: V A 4 3 * K, $ 10 8 6 5 3 2 S 
A 8 7 2. 

Declarer: V 8 5 2, * A Q J 9, ♦ —, A 
A J 10 9 6 4. 

Here no attempt can be made to protect the Club 
suit by leading trump until after the los¬ 
ing Hearts have been discarded. Therefore 
dummy wins the first trick with the ace of 
Hearts, leads the king of Clubs and overtakes 
it with the ace and throws off the remaining 
two Hearts in dummy on the Q and J of 
Clubs. Declarer then leads a Heart for 
dummy to ruff and in return ruffs a Diamond 
which allows him to lead and ruff his remain- 


DECLARER’S PLAY 


189 
With a 
Trump. 


ing Heart which must either win the trick or 
force an honor. In any event the game is 
won. 

5. To Establish a Suit by Forcing and Trumping 
Adversaries’ Winning Cards Therein. 

It frequently happens that the dummy has a long 
unestablished suit in which the declarer is 
short. By leading small cards from this suit 
and trumping them, declarer may be able to 
clear and make the remaining cards of the 
suit. It would naturally suggest itself that 
this play can be of no value if the dummy 
hand has no card of re-entry to make the suit 
when established. 


WITH A NO-TRUMP. 

The success of the declaration at no-trumps usually 
depends entirely upon two things: finessing (see p. 
193) and establishing the smaller cards of long suits. 
The basic principles of no-trump play are as follows: 

1. Play for the Suit that is Longest Between the 
Two Hands. 

If the declarer’s 26 cards should be divided into 
6 hearts, 9 clubs, 6 diamonds and 5 spades, 
the club suit is the one to play for and the 
spade the one to avoid. 


DECLARER’S PLAY 


190 

With a 
No-Trump. 

2. If Any Two Suits are Equal in Number, Play 
for the One Where the Distribution is Unequal. 

(a) Holding seven cards in each of two suits, one 
divided 4-3 and the other 5-2, play for the 
5-2 suit. 

(b) Even if the shorter suit be stronger, it will 
be so much the more useful for re-entry pur¬ 
poses when the longer suit is established. 

3. Other Things being Equal, Play for the Suit in 
the Hand that has the Most Re-entries. 

(a) It is useless to establish a suit that cannot be 
brought into play, and if the command is held 
up by the adversary so as to block the suit, 
it should be abandoned after making all the 
tricks possible in it. (See Re-entries, p. 191 ) 

4. When there is no Re-entry Except in the Suit 
Itself, Duck the First Round. 

(a) The declarer will frequently find dummy with 
some such suit asAKxxxxorAQxx 
x x and no re-entry, with only two small 
cards of the suit in his own hand. 

Therefore one or the other adversary must 
have it stopped with a doubly guarded honor, 
and if the high cards are played first, the 
suit is dead, as declarer cannot lead it a third 
time. 


DECLARER’S PLAY 


191 
With a 
No-Trump. 

(b) The proper way to play such a suit is to play 
a small card, no matter what, of the long suit 
on the first round, reserving the high cards of 
the suit for the second and third round. If 
this will not establish the suit, it could not 
have been made by any process of play. 

5. Hold up the Command of Dangerous Suits. 

If the adversaries start a suit in which the de¬ 
clarer has only one stopper, he should refuse 
to play it until one adversary is out of the 
suit, unless he can get his contract or game 
before that suit comes into play again. This 
is particularly true when it will be necessary 
to finesse a suit, because if the finesse can be 
taken against the player who holds the re¬ 
mainder of the dangerous suit, his partner 
cannot lead the suit to him, even if he beats 
the finesse. 

RE-ENTRIES. 

On the first lead, with ace in dummy and king in 
hand (or vice versa), the careless play of one or the 
other has been the cause of defeating many a promis¬ 
ing hand. It is therefore often of vital importance 
not only to keep, but to set up as many re-entries as 
possible in the two hands. Take as an illustration of 
this principle the following: the declaration being no- 
trump and the Four of Hearts led. 


192 DECLARER’S PLAY 

Re-Entries. 

Dummy: V Q J, * 8 6, ♦ Q J io 9 7 3 2 > * A 2. 

Declarer: V AK3, *KQ73 2, ♦ A, A Q J 5 4. 

The diamond suit is the one to play for, but it re¬ 
quires two re-entries: one to get the king out of the 
way and one to bring the suit into play. Although * 
the jack of hearts holds the first trick, the declarer 
must overtake it with the ace or king, lead his ace 
of diamonds and then put dummy in by leading the 
trey of hearts. After dummy has forced out the king 
of diamonds, the ace of spades still remains as a re¬ 
entry card to make the rest of the diamonds. 

Opportunities to make double re-entries are often 
overlooked. Four of a suit in each hand will usually 
make a double re-entry. The following hand will 
serve to illustrate this point, the declaration being no- 
trump and the jack of Hearts led. 

Dummy: V 6 5. Q 5 4 3, ♦ Q J 10 9 6, A 8 6. 

Declarer: V A Q 7 3, A K 10 2, ♦ 8 4, A A K J. 

Once in, the declarer leads a small diamond. 
Should the adversaries refuse to play the ace or king 
to the first trick, the Diamond suit is dead unless 
there are two re-entries in dummy. But it is almost 
a certainty that two re-entries can be made in the 
Club by leading the ten first and overtaking it with 
the queen. Upon getting in again, the declarer can 
lead out his two top clubs and then put dummy in with 
the deuce. Unless there are four clubs in one hand 
against him, dummy’s five of clubs will win the fourth 
round. 


DECLARER’S PLAY 


193 


THE FINESSE. 

A SINGLE FINESSE. 

Is Against One Card and is an Attempt to Win a 
Trick with a Card Which is not the Best You 
Hold nor in Sequence with it. 

(a) Holding A Q J x x in one hand and small 
cards in the other, or A x x x in one hand 
and Q J 10 x in the other, are examples of 
combinations calling for a finesse. 

(b) Inasmuch as the card to be caught is the king, 
the lead must always be to the hand holding 
the ace, so that when the king is finally 
played, the ace can take it. 

(c) Do not be deceived by players who, especially 
in no-trump, will constantly discard to deny 
the king, even going so far as to blank it, in 
order to tempt declarer to finesse. 

Never attempt a finesse which, if unsuccess¬ 
ful, will jeopardize going game. 

A DOUBLE FINESSE. 

Is Against Two Cards and is an Attempt to Win 
a Trick with a Card which is not the Best 
You Hold nor in Sequence with it. 


DECLARER’S PLAY 


194 

The 

Finesse. 

(a) A J 10 in one hand and small cards in the 
other, or A in one hand and J 10 in the other, 
are examples of combinations calling for a 
double finesse. 

(b) Inasmuch as the cards to be caught are the 
K and Q, the lead must always be to the ace. 
One or the other should be caught, unless 
both are to the left of the ace. 

LEADING FROM WEAKNESS TO 
STRENGTH. 

Is Where no Attempt is made to Catch any Par¬ 
ticular Card of the Adversaries, but Rather 
to Avoid Their Catching One of Yours. 

(a) If one hand holds K x x and there is nothing 
but small cards of this suit in the other, the 
only chance to make the king is to lead from 
the weaker hand. 

! (b) Likewise with A x x in one hand and Qxx 
in the other, the correct play is to lead from 
the ace to the queen, and chance that the king 
may be second hand. 


ECHOES AND DISCARDS. 


THE DOWN-AND-OUT ECHO. 

Following Suit with the Highest of Two Cards 
Only of Partner’s Suit. 

(a) Playing against a trump declaration, if you 
have only two of the suit your partner leads, 
neither of them as high as the jack, play the 
higher first, to indicate a willingness to ruff 
the third round of the suit. 

(b) With J x, or Q x, this is not necessary, as the 
fall of the higher card on the second round 
will show no more, or the best in hand. 

PLAIN-SUIT ECHO. 

Always Play the Second Best of the Suit Led by 
Partner, when You Make no Attempt to 
Win the Trick. 

(a) This echo enables the partner to place one 
higher card only in your hand and at once 
exposes any false cards played by the declarer. 

195 


ECHOES AND DISCARDS 


196 

The 

Echoes. 

(b) Holding Q J 4 2, for instance, your partner 
leading a small card and Dummy putting on 
the king, play the J, your second-best. 

(c) On the second round, play the 4 (under the 
A), and then the Q, always keeping the small¬ 
est of the suit to the last. 

(d) Holding three of a suit, such as J 8 3, play 
the 8 to the first round, if you make no at¬ 
tempt to win the trick, and on the second 
round play the J, reserving the 3 to the last. 

Playing against a no-trnmp with Two cards 
only of a suit, play the smaller card first. 
The down-and-out echo is never used in no- 
trump, the plain-suit echo taking its place. 

THE REVERSE DISCARD. 

The “ Reverse ” is to play an Unnecessarily High 

Card the First Time, Such as Discarding the 

8 from A 9 8 2, and Dropping the 2 Next 

Time. 

(a) If there is any likelihood that your partner 
will get into the lead before you do, or if he 
is in the lead with a suit to which you have 
to renounce, the reverse discard is sometimes 
useful. It shows you would like that suit led. 

(b) It is usually taken for granted that the dis¬ 
card of any card as high as a seven is the 


ECHOES AND DISCARDS 197 

The Reverse Discard. 

beginning of a “ reverse,” and with a good 
partner it is not always necessary to complete 
the signal. 

THE CONVENTION OF THE 
ELEVEN RULE. 

While the fourth-best card of a suit is not led nearly 
as often as it was in Whist or Bridge Whist, still it 
remains one of the most valuable of all conventions 
of Play. Its importance cannot be disregarded by any 
player, no matter his force. 

THE ELEVEN RULE. 

From a Long Suit that Does Not Admit of the 
Lead of a High Card, Always Lead the 
Fourth-Best, so that Partner, by Means 
of the Eleven-Rule, May Read the Suit. 

Partner will deduct from 11 the pips on the card 
led. The difference tells him exactly how 
many cards higher than the one led there are 
out against the leader. 

Partner, by counting up his high cards in the suit, 
together with the dummy’s, can place the re¬ 
maining high cards. This rule will also as¬ 
sist him to infer whether the card is a forced 
lead, or a fourth-best. 


ECHOES AND DISCARDS 


198 

The Convention of 
The Eleven Rule. 

For illustration lay out these cards: — 

Seven led. Dummy shows K 10 5. Leader’s Part¬ 
ner holds A J 2; he knows that unless Dummy plays 
K or 10 the 7 will win the trick. 

Seven led. Dummy K 10 5; Partner A 9 8. He 
knows the 7 is not the fourth-best and that Q J are in 
the hand of the fourth player. 

FOLLY OF MECHANICAL ADHERENCE 

TO THE CONVENTIONS OF PLAY. 

Some beginners are prone to be too mechanical in 
their play. Signals of every sort are for conveying 
information between partners. If an indication is of 
no value or will be more valuable to the adversary 
than to partner, do not follow conventions, but false- 
card, so as always to leave a doubt in the mind of the 
adversary. 

Avoid the use of the down-and-out echo, showing 
only two of suit, unless you are able and willing to ruff 
the third round. Remember that this signal is also a 
call. Mechanical players are apt thoughtlessly so to 
signal when chicane, or when they would be forced to 
ruff with a master trump. 

Avoid leading a short suit when strong in trumps 
and unwilling to be forced. It operates as a call, and 
a partner will usually return it instead of setting up 
his own suit. 


ECHOES AND DISCARDS 


199 

Folly of Mechanical 
Adherence to Conventions. 

Avoid discards which might influence partner to lead 
a suit that you prefer to have the declarer lead. 

Being first to lead, and having in hand a long se¬ 
quence, it is sometimes advisable falsely to lead the 
lowest of the sequence, compelling a hesitating partner 
to unblock. 

These suggestions could be followed with many 
more. They would tend, however, all in one direc¬ 
tion : counseling players to consider first and play 
afterwards, with much more happy effect than the con¬ 
trary methods. 


PART III 


THE LAWS OF ROYAL AUCTION 

Copyright, 19x3 by The Whist Club, New York City. 
Reprinted by permission. 


















I 







INDEX TO THE LAWS 


LAW PAGE 

The Rubber . 209 

Scoring . 209 

Cutting . 212 

Ace the lowest card.14 

Cutting cards of equal value.14 

Cutting from same pack.15 

Exposing more than one card.16 

Forming Tables . 212 

First in room have prior right.17 

Table complete with six players.18 

Cutting for partners.19 

Order of entry .20 

Cutting Out .:.21 213 

Right of Entry. 213 

Must be announced before cut.22 

Forming new tables.23-25 

Rights of a substitute.26 

Player breaking up a table.27 

Shuffling .28-30 214 

The Deal . 215 

Order of Dealing and Cutting.31-36 

203 























204 


INDEX TO LAWS 


LAW PAGE 


There must be a New Deal: 

If cards are not dealt in order.. 

If pack be incorrect. 

If any card be exposed. 

If player have more than 13 

cards . 

If last card does not come to 

Dealer . 

If pack be not cut. 

If player deal out of turn, or 
with adversaries’ cards.... 


Qualifying Clauses to “ Law 37 ”.38-39 

Should player have less than 13 cards.. .40 
Dealer cutting, efc., for partner.41 

The Declaration . 217 

Dealer must declare.42 

Subsequent declarations .43-47-a 

Loss limitation on One Spade.48 

Declaration out of Turn.49 

Insufficient declaration .50 

If partner of offending player bid.50-a 

Qualifying clause to Laws 49-50-a.50-b 

Qualifying the rights of Consultation be¬ 
tween partners.50-e 

Asking a previous declaration.51 

A declaration may be changed before 
next player speaks .52 

Doubling and Redoubling. 221 

Does not alter value of declaration.53 


No further doubling after a redouble.. .54 
Penalty for redoubling more than once. .54 

























INDEX TO LAWS 205 

LAW PAGE 

Doubling or redoubling re-opens the 

bidding .55 

A declaration doubled and made.56 

Doubling out of turn.57 

The Dummy . 223 

What Dummy may do.59-60 

What Dummy may not do.61-62-a 

Dummy cannot revoke.63 

Card touched in Dummy.64 

Before final Declaration.65 

After final Declaration.. .66 

Cards Exposed Before Play. 226 

After original Lead.67 

A card is exposed when: 


Two or more are played simul¬ 
taneously . 

Dropped face upward on table.... ^g 

Held so partner may see it. 

Mentioned by either adversary .... j 

Qualifying Clauses to “Law 68”.69-70 

Should adversary expose last card before 

partner followed to 12th trick.70-a 

Playing Winning Cards without waiting 

for Partner to play.71 

Adversaries’ cards thrown face upward 

on table may be called.72 

Declarer’s cards similarly exposed may 

not be called.72 

Should Declarer indicate that all or any 

of remaining tricks are his.72 

Failure to comply with exacted Penal¬ 
ties .73-74 
























206 


INDEX TO LAWS 


LAW PAGE 

Call of Exposed card may be Repeated 


until played .75 

Leads Out of Turn. 228 

Adversary leading out of turn.76 

Declarer leading out of turn.77 

Adversary leading out of turn and De¬ 
clarer or Dummy following.78 

If player called upon to lead a suit have 
none of it.79 

Cards Played in Error. 229 

Should Fourth Hand play before part¬ 
ner .80 

If any one omit playing to a trick.81 


If any one play two cards to same trick.82 


The Revoke . 230 

What constitutes a Revoke.83 

The Penalty for each Revoke.84 

A player may ask his Partner.85 

If a player correct his mistake.86 

All tricks may be searched at end of 

play .87 

Mixing cards establishes the Revoke... .87 
Revoke cannot be claimed after cards are 

cut for following deal.88 

Should both sides Revoke.89 

General Rules . 232 

Penalty for looking at trick which has 

been quitted .90 

Player may demand that the cards be 
placed .91 






















INDEX TO LAWS 207 

LAW PAGE 

If adversary, prior to Partner playing, 

call his attention to a trick. 92 

Penalty for any unauthorized reference 

to incident or play.93 

Reasonable time must be given for de¬ 
cisions as to penalties.94 

New Cards . 95-96 233 

Bystanders . 97 234 

Etiqette of Auction. 234 

Laws of Three-hand Auction . 236 

Method of Accounting. 239 

Laws of Duplicate Auction. 240 
























- 
































THE LAWS OF ROYAL AUCTION. 

Copyright, 1913 by The Whist Club, New York City. 
Reprinted by permission. 


THE RUBBER. 

1. The partners first winning two games win the 
rubber. When the first two games decide the rubber, 
a third is not played. 


SCORING. 

2. Each side has a trick score and a score for all 
other counts, generally known as the honor score. In 
the trick score the only entries made are points for 
tricks won (see Law 3), which count both toward the 
game and in the total of the rubber. 

All other points, including honors, penalties, slam, 
little slam, and undertricks, are recorded in the honor 
score, which counts only in the total of the rubber. 

3. When the declarer wins the number of tricks bid 
or more, each above six counts on the trick score: two 
points when spades are trumps, six when clubs are 
trumps, seven when diamonds are trumps, eight when 
hearts are trumps, nine when royal spades are trumps, 
and ten when the declaration is no-trump. 

4. A game consists of thirty points made by tricks 
alone. Every deal is played out, whether or not dur- 

209 


210 


THE LAWS OF ROYAL AUCTION 


Scoring. 

ing it the game be concluded, and any points made 
(even if in excess of thirty) are counted. 

5. The ace, king, queen, knave, and ten of the trump 
suit are the honors; when no trump is declared, the 
aces are the honors. 

6. Honors are credited to the original holders; they 
are valued as follows : 


3 * 

4 

5 
4 

4 

5 


WHEN A TRUMP IS DECLARED 
honors between partners equal value of 2 tricks. 

it U li 4k 44 ^ 44 


u in 1 hand 

f 5th in 

“ “ 1 “-J partner’s 

[ hand 

44 44 j 44 


WHEN NO TRUMP IS DECLARED 

3 aces held between partners count 30 

4 “ u “ “ 40 

4 “ “ in one hand “ 100 


7. Slam is made when partners take thirteen tricks.f 
It counts 40 points in the honor score. 


8. Little slam is made when partners take twelve 
tricks.$ It counts 20 points in the honor score. 


* Frequently called '* simple honors.” 

f Law 84 prohibits a revoking side from scoring slam, and 
provides that tricks received by the declarer as penalty for 
a revoke shall not entitle him to a slam not otherwise ob¬ 
tained. 

t Law 84 prohibits a revoking side from scoring little slam, 


THE LAWS OF ROYAL AUCTION 


2II 


Scoring. 

9. The value of honors, slam, or little slam, is not 
affected by doubling or redoubling. 

10. At the conclusion of a rubber the trick and 
honor scores of each side are added and 250 additional 
points added to the score of the winners of the rubber. 
The size of the rubber is the difference between the 
completed scores. If the score of the losers of the 
rubber exceed that of the winners, the losers win the 
amount of the excess. 

11. When a rubber is started with the agreement 
that the play shall terminate (i. e., no new deal shall 
commence) at a specified time, and the rubber is 
unfinished at that hour, the score is made up as it 
stands, 125 being added to the score of the winners 
of a game. A deal if started must be finished. 

12. A proved error in the honor score may be cor¬ 
rected at any time before the score of the rubber has 
been made up and agreed upon. 

13. A proved error in the trick score may be cor¬ 
rected at any time before a declaration has been made 
in the following game, or, if it occur in the final game 
of the rubber, before the score has been made up and 
agreed upon. 

and provides that tricks received by the declarer as penalty 
for a revoke shall not entitle him to a little slam not other¬ 
wise obtained. If a declarer bid 7 and take twelve tricks he 
counts 20 for little slam, although his declaration fails. 


212 


THE LAWS OF ROYAL AUCTION 


Cutting. 

Forming Tables. 


CUTTING. 

14. In cutting the ace is the lowest card; between 
cards of otherwise equal value the heart is the lowest, 
the diamond next, the club next, and spade the 
highest. 

15. Every player must cut from the same pack. 

16. Should a player expose more than one card, the 
highest is his cut. 

FORMING TABLES. 

17. Those first in the room have the prior right to 
play. Candidates of equal standing decide their order 
by cutting; those who cut lowest play first. 

18. Six players constitute a complete table. 

19. After the table has been formed, the players cut 
to decide upon partners, the two lower play against 
the two higher. The lowest is the dealer, who has 
choice of cards and seats, and, having made his selec¬ 
tion, must abide by it.* 

20. The right to succeed players as they retire is 
acquired by announcing the desire to do so, and such 
announcements, in the order made, entitle candidates 
to fill vacancies as they occur. 

t * He may consult his partner before making his decision. 


THE LAWS OF ROYAL AUCTION 


213 


Cutting Out. 
Right of Entry. 


CUTTING OUT. 

21. If, at the end of a rubber, admission be claimed 
by one or two candidates, the player or players who 
have played the greatest number of consecutive rub¬ 
bers withdraw; when all have played the same num¬ 
ber, they cut to decide upon the outgoers; the highest 
are out.* 


RIGHT OF ENTRY, 

22. At the end of a rubber a candidate is not en¬ 
titled to enter a table unless he declare his intention 
before any player cut, either for partners, for a new 
rubber, or for cutting out. 

23. In the formation of new tables candidates who 
have not played at an existing table have the prior 
right of entry. Others decide their right to admission 
by cutting. 

24. When one or more players belonging to an ex¬ 
isting table aid in making up a new one, which cannot 
be formed without him or them, he or they shall be 
the last to cut out. 

25. A player belonging to one table who enters an¬ 
other, or announces a desire to do so, forfeits his 
rights at his original table, unless the new table can¬ 
not be formed without him, in which case he may 

* See Law 14 as to value of cards in cutting. 


THE LAWS OF ROYAL AUCTION 


214 

Right of Entry. 

Shuffling. 

retain his position at his original table by announcing 
his intention to return as soon as his place at the new 
table can be filled. 

26. Should a player leave a table during the prog¬ 
ress of a rubber, he may, with the consent of the three 
others, appoint a substitute to play during his absence; 
but such appointment becomes void upon the conclu¬ 
sion of the rubber, and does not in any way afifect the 
rights of the substitute. 

27. If a player break up a table, the others have a 
prior right of entry elsewhere. 

SHUFFLING. 

28. The pack must not be shuffled below the table 
nor so the face of any card be seen. 

29. The dealer’s partner must collect the cards from 
the preceding deal and has the right to shuffle first. 
Each player has the right to shuffle subsequently. 
The dealer has the right to shuffle last, but should a 
card or cards be seen during his shuffling or while giv¬ 
ing the pack to be cut, he must reshuffle. 

30. After shuffling, the cards, properly collected, 
must be placed face downward to the left of the next 
dealer, where they must remain untouched until the 
end of the current deal. 


THE LAWS OF ROYAL AUCTION 


21 


The Deal. 
A New Deal. 


THE DEAL. 

31. Players deal in turn; the order of dealing is to 
the left. 

32. Immediately before the deal, the player on the 
dealer’s right cuts, so that each packet contains at least 
four cards. If, in or after cutting, and prior to the 
beginning of the deal, a card be exposed, or if any 
doubt exist as to the place of the cut, the dealer must 
reshuffle and the same player must cut again. 

33. After the pack has been properly cut, it should 
not be reshuffled or recut except as provided in Law 32. 

34. Should the dealer shuffle after the cut, his ad¬ 
versaries may also shuffle and the pack must be cut 
again. 

35. The fifty-two cards must be dealt face down¬ 
ward. The deal is completed when the last card is 
dealt. 

36. In the event of a misdeal, the same pack must 
be dealt again by the same player. 


A NEW DEAL. 

37. There must be a new deal: 

(a) If the cards be not dealt, beginning at the deal¬ 
er’s left into four packets one at a time and 
in regular rotation. 


216 THE LAWS OF ROYAL AUCTION 

A New Deal. 

( b ) If, during a deal, or during the play, the pack 

be proved incorrect. 

(c) If, during a deal, any card be faced in the pack 

or exposed, on, above, or below the table. 

( d ) If more than thirteen cards be dealt to any 

player.* 

( e ) If the last card do not come in its regular order 

to the dealer. 

(/) If the dealer omit having the pack cut, deal out 
of turn or with the adversaries’ cards, and 
either adversary call attention to the fact 
before the end of the deal and before looking 
at any of his cards. 

38. Should a correction of any offence mentioned 
in 37 / not be made in time, or should an adversary 
who has looked at any of his cards be the first to call 
attention to the error, the deal stands, and the game 
proceeds as if the deal had been correct, the player to 
the left dealing the next. When the deal has been 
with the wrong cards, the next dealer may take which¬ 
ever pack he prefers. 

39. If, prior to the cut for the following deal, a 
pack be proved incorrect, the deal is void, but all prior 
scores stand.f 

The pack is not incorrect when a missing card or 
cards are found in the other pack, among the quitted 

* This error, whenever discovered, renders a new deal nec¬ 
essary. 

fA correct pack contains exactly fifty-two cards, one of 
each denomination. 


THE LAWS OF ROYAL AUCTION 217 

A New Deal. 

The Declaration. 

tricks, below the table, or in any other place which 
makes it possible that such card or cards were part of 
the pack during the deal. 

40. Should three players have their proper number 
of cards, the fourth, less, the missing card or cards, 
if found, belong to him, and he, unless dummy, is 
answerable for any established revoke or revokes he 
may have made just as if the missing card or cards 
had been continuously in his hand. When a card is 
missing, any player may search the other pack, the 
quitted tricks, or elsewhere for it. 

If before, during, or at the conclusion of play, one 
player hold more than the proper number of cards, 
and another less, the deal is void. 

41. A player may not cut, shuffle, or deal for his 
partner if either adversary object. 

THE DECLARATION. 

42. The dealer, having examined his hand, must 
declare to win at least one odd trick,* either with a 
specified suit, or at no-trump. 

43. After the dealer has declared, each player in 
turn, beginning on the dealer’s left, must pass, make 
a higher declaration, double the last declaration, or 
redouble a declaration which has been doubled, sub¬ 
ject to the provisions of Law 54. 

* One trick more than six. 


218 THE LAWS OF ROYAL AUCTION 

The Declaration. 

44. A declaration of a greater number of tricks in 
a suit of lower value, which equals the last declara¬ 
tion in value of points, is a higher declaration; e. g., 
a declaration of “ three spades ” is higher than “ one 
club.” 

45. A player in his turn may overbid the previous 
adverse declaration any number of times, and may 
also overbid his partner, but he cannot overbid his 
own declaration which has been passed by the three 
others. 

46. The player who makes the final declaration * 
must play the combined hands, his partner becoming 
dummy, unless the suit or no-trump finally declared 
was bid by the partner before it was called by the 
final declarer, in which case the partner, no matter 
what bids have intervened, must play the combined 
hands. 

47. When the player of the two hands (hereinafter 
termed “the declarer”) wins at least as many tricks 
as he declared, he scores the full value of the tricks 
won (see Law 3).f 

47a. When the declarer fails to win as many tricks 
as he declares, neither he nor his adversaries score 
anything toward the game, but his adversaries score 

* A declaration becomes final when it has been passed by 
three players. 

t For amount scored by declarer, if doubled, see Laws 53 
and 56. 


THE LAWS OF ROYAL AUCTION 


219 

The Declaration. 

in their honor column 50 points for each undertrick 
(i. e. y each trick short of the number declared). If 
the declaration be doubled, the adversaries score 100 
points; if redoubled, 200 points for each undertrick. 

48. The loss on the dealer’s original declaration of 
“ one spade ” is limited to 100 points, whether dou¬ 
bled or not, unless redoubled. Honors are scored as 
held. 

49. If a player make a declaration (other than pass¬ 
ing) out of turn, either adversary may demand a new 
deal, or may allow such declaration to stand, in which 
case the bidding shall continue as if the declaration 
had been in turn. 

If a player pass out of turn, the order of the bid¬ 
ding is not affected, i. e., it is still the turn of the 
player to the left of the last declarer. The player 
who has passed out of turn may re-enter the bidding 
in his proper turn if the declaration he has passed be 
overbid or doubled. 

50. If a player make an insufficient or impossible 
declaration, either adversary may demand that it be 
penalized. The penalty for an insufficient declaration 
is that the bid is made sufficient in the declaration 
named and the partner of the declarer may not further 
declare unless an adversary subsequently bid or dou¬ 
ble. The penalty for an impossible declaration is that 
the bid is made seven in the suit named and the part¬ 
ner of the declarer may not further declare unless an 


220 THE LAWS OF ROYAL AUCTION 

The Declaration. 

adversary subsequently bid or double. Either adver¬ 
sary, instead of penalizing an impossible declaration, 
may demand a new deal, or that the last declaration 
made on behalf of his partnership become the final 
declaration. 

50a. If a player who has been debarred from bid¬ 
ding under Laws 50 or 65, during the period of such 
prohibition, make any declaration (other than pass¬ 
ing), either adversary may decide whether such dec¬ 
laration stand, and neither the offending player nor 
his partner may further participate in the bidding even 
if the adversaries double or declare. 

50 b. A penalty for a declaration out of turn (see 
Law 49), an insufficient or impossible declaration 
(see Law 50), or a bid when prohibited (see Law 
50a) may not be enforced if either adversary pass, 
double, or declare before the penalty be demanded.* 

50c. Laws which give to either adversary the right 
to enforce a penalty, do not permit unlimited consulta¬ 
tion. Either adversary may call attention to the 
offence and select the penalty, or may say, “ Partner, 
you determine the penalty,” or words to that effect. 
Any other consultation is prohibited,! and if it take 
place the right to demand any penalty is lost. The 

* When the penalty for an insufficient declaration is not 
demanded, the bid over which it was made may be repeated 
unless some higher bid have intervened. 

f The question, “ Partner, will you select the penalty, or 
shall I?” is a form of consultation which is not permitted. 


221 


THE LAWS OF ROYAL AUCTION 

The Declaration. 

Doubling and Redoubling. 

first decision made by either adversary is final and 
cannot be altered. 

51. At any time during the declaration, a question 
asked by a player concerning any previous bid must 
be answered, but, after the final declaration has been 
accepted, if an adversary of the declarer inform his 
partner regarding any previous declaration, the de¬ 
clarer may call a lead from the adversary whose next 
turn it is to lead. If the dummy give such informa¬ 
tion to the declarer, either adversary of the declarer 
may call a lead. A player, however, at any time 
may ask what declaration is being played and the 
question must be answered. 

52. A declaration legitimately made cannot be 
changed after the next player pass, declare, or double. 
Prior to such action a declaration inadvertently made 
may be corrected. If, prior to such correction, an 
adversary call attention to an insufficient or impossi¬ 
ble declaration, it may not thereafter be corrected nor 
may the penalty be avoided. 


DOUBLING AND REDOUBLING. 

53. Doubling and redoubling doubles and quad¬ 
ruples the value of each trick over six, but it does not 
.alter the value of a declaration; e. g., a declaration of 
“ three clubs ” is higher than “ two royal spades ” 
doubled or redoubled, 


222 


THE LAWS OF ROYAL AUCTION 
Doubling and Redoubling. 

54. Any declaration may be doubled and redoubled 
once, but not more; a player may not double his 
partner’s declaration, nor redouble his partner’s 
double, but he may redouble a declaration of his part¬ 
ner which has been doubled by an adversary. 

The penalty for redoubling more than once is 100 
points in the adverse honor score or a new deal; for 
doubling a partner’s declaration, or redoubling a part¬ 
ner’s double it is 50 points in the adverse honor score. 
Either adversary may demand any penalty enforceable 
under this law. 

55. Doubling or redoubling reopens the bidding. 
When a declaration has been doubled or redoubled, 
any one of the three succeeding players, including the 
player whose declaration has been doubled, may, in 
his proper turn, make a further declaration of higher 
value. 

56. When a player whose declaration has been 
doubled wins the declared number of tricks, he scores 
a bonus of 50 points in his honor score, and a further 
50 points for each additional trick. When he or his 
partner has redoubled, he scores 100 points for mak¬ 
ing the contract and an additional 100 for each extra 
trick. 

57. A double or redouble is a declaration, and a 
player who doubles or redoubles out of turn is subject' 
to the penalty provided by Law 49. 


223 


THE LAWS OF ROYAL AUCTION 

Doubling and Redoubling. 

Dummy. 

58. After the final declaration has been accepted, the 
play begins; the player on the left of the declarer 
leads. 


DUMMY. 

59. As soon as the player on the left of the de¬ 
clarer leads, the declarer’s partner places his cards face 
upward on the table, and the declarer plays the cards 
from that hand. 

60. The partner of the declarer has all the rights of 
a player (including the right to call attention to a lead 
from the wrong hand), until his cards are placed face 
upward on the table.* He then becomes the dummy, 
and takes no part whatever in the play, except that 
he has the right: 

( a ) To call the declarer’s attention to the fact that 

too many or too few cards have been played 
to a trick; 

( b ) to correct an improper claim of either adver¬ 

sary; 

( c ) to call attention to a trick erroneously taken by 

either side; 

( d ) to participate in the discussion of any disputed 

question of fact after it has arisen between 
the declarer and either adversary; 

( e ) to correct an erroneous score; 

(/) to consult with and advise the declarer as to 
which penalty to exact for a revoke; 

♦The penalty is determined by the declarer (see Law 66). 


THE LAWS OF ROYAL AUCTION 


224 

Dummy. 

( g ) to ask the declarer whether he have any of a 

suit he has renounced. 

The dummy, if he have not intentionally looked 
at any card in the hand of a player, has also the follow¬ 
ing additional rights: 

( h ) To call the attention of the declarer to an es¬ 

tablished adverse revoke; 

(i) to call the attention of the declarer to a card 

exposed by an adversary or to an adverse 

lead out of turn. 

61. Should the durnmy call attention to any other 
incident in the play in consequence of which any 
penalty might have been exacted, the declarer may not 
exact such penalty. Should the dummy avail himself 
of rights (h) or (i), after intentionally looking at a 
card in the hand of a player, the declarer may not 
exact any penalty for the offence in question. 

62. If the dummy, by touching a card or otherwise, 
suggest the play of one of his cards, either adversary 
may require the declarer to play or not to play such 
card. 

62a. If the dummy call to the attention of the de¬ 
clarer that he is about to lead from the wrong hand, 
either adversary may require that the lead be made 
from that hand. 

63. Dummy is not subject to the revoke penalty; 
if he revoke and the error be not discovered until the 


THE LAWS OF ROYAL AUCTION 225 

Dummy. 

Cards Exposed Before Play. 

trick be turned and quitted, whether by the rightful 
winners or not, the trick must stand. 

64. A card from the declarer’s hand is not played 
until actually quitted, but should he name or touch a 
card in the dummy, such card is played unless he say, 
“ I arrange,” or words to that effect. If he simul¬ 
taneously touch two or more such cards, he may elect 
which to play. 

CARDS EXPOSED BEFORE PLAY. 

65. After the deal and before the declaration has 
been finally determined, if any player lead or expose 
a card, his partner may not thereafter bid or double 
during that declaration,* and the card is subject to 
call.f When the partner of the offending player is the 
original leader, the declarer may also prohibit the 
initial lead of the suit of the exposed card. 

66. After the final declaration has been accepted and 
before the lead, if the partner of the proper leader 
expose or lead a card, the declarer may treat it as 
exposed or may call a suit from the proper leader. 
A card exposed by the leader, after the final declara¬ 
tion and before the lead, is subject to call. 

* See Law 50a. 

t If more than one card be exposed, all may be called. 


226 THE LAWS OF ROYAL AUCTION 

Cards Exposed During Play. 

CARDS EXPOSED DURING PLAY. 

67. After the original lead, all cards exposed by the 
declarer’s adversaries are liable to be called and must 
be left face upward on the table. 

68. The following are exposed cards: 

(1) Two or more cards played simultaneously; 

(2) a card dropped face upward on the table, even 

though snatched up so quickly that it cannot 

be named; 

(3) a card so held by a player that his partner sees 

any portion of its face; 

(4) a card mentioned by either adversary as being 

held in his or his partner’s hand. 

69. A card dropped on the floor or elsewhere below 
the table, or so held that it is seen by an adversary but 
not by the partner, is not an exposed card. 

70. Two or more cards played simultaneously by 
either of the declarer’s adversaries give the declarer 
the right to call any one of such cards to the current 
trick and to treat the other card or cards as exposed. 

70 a. Should an adversary of the declarer expose his 
last card before his partner play to the twelfth trick, 
the two cards in his partner’s hand become exposed, 
must be laid face upward on the table, and are sub¬ 
ject to call. 


THE LAWS OF ROYAL AUCTION 227 

Cards Exposed During Play. 

71. If, without waiting for his partner to play, 
either of the declarer’s adversaries play or lead a 
winning card, as against the declarer and dummy and 
continue (without waiting for his partner to play) 
to lead several such cards, the declarer may demand 
that the partner of the player in fault win, if he can, 
the first or any other of these tricks. The other, cards 
thus improperly played are exposed. 

72. If either or both of the declarer’s adversaries 
throw his or their cards face upward on the table, 
such cards are exposed and liable to be called; but if 
either adversary retain his hand, he cannot be forced 
to abandon it. Cards exposed by the declarer are not 
liable to be called. If the declarer say, “ I have the 
rest,” or any words indicating the remaining tricks or 
any number thereof are his, he may be required to 
place his cards face upward on the table. He is not 
then allowed to call any cards his adversaries may 
have exposed, nor to take any finesse not previously 
proven a winner unless he announce it when making 
his claim. 

73. If a player who has rendered himself liable to 
have the highest or lowest of a suit called (Laws 80, 
86, and 92) fail to play as directed, or if, when called 
on to lead one suit, he lead another, having in his 
hand one or more cards of the suit demanded (Laws 
66, 76, and 93), or if, when called upon to win or 
lose a trick, he fail to do so when he can (Laws 71, 
80, and 92), or if, when called upon not to play a 


228 THE LAWS OF ROYAL AUCTION 

Cards Exposed During Play. 

Leads Out of Turn. 

suit, he fail to play as directed (Laws 65 and 66), 
he is liable to the penalty for revoke (Law 84) unless 
such play be corrected before the trick be turned and 
quitted. 

74. A player cannot be compelled to play a card 
which would oblige him to revoke. 

75. The call of an exposed card may be repeated 
until it be played. 

LEADS OUT OF TURN. 

76. If either adversary of the declarer’s lead out 
of turn, the declarer may either treat the card so led as 
exposed or may call a suit as soon as it is the turn 
of either adversary to lead. Should they lead simul¬ 
taneously, the lead from the proper hand stands, and 
the other card is exposed. 

77. If the declarer lead out of turn, either from his 
own hand or dummy, he incurs no penalty, but he 
may not rectify the error unless directed to do so by an 
adversary.* If the second hand play, the lead is ac¬ 
cepted. 

78. If an adversary of the declarer lead out of turn, 
and the declarer follow either from his own hand or 
dummy, the trick stands. If the declarer before play- 

* The rule in Law 50c as to consultations governs the right 
of adversaries to consult as to whether such direction be 
given. 


THE LAWS OF ROYAL AUCTION 229 

Leads Out of Turn. 

Cards Played in Error. 

ing refuse to accept the lead, the leader may be penal¬ 
ized as provided in Law 76. 

79. If a player called on to lead a suit have none 
of it, the penalty is paid. 

CARDS PLAYED IN ERROR. 

80. Should the fourth hand, not being dummy or 
declarer, play before the second, the latter may be 
required to play his highest or lowest card of the 
suit led, or to win or lose the trick. In such case, if 
the second hand be void of the suit led, the declarer in 
lieu of any other penalty may call upon the second 
hand to play the highest card of any designated suit. 
If he name a suit of which the second hand is void, 
the penalty is paid.* 

81. If any one, except dummy, omit playing to a 
trick, and such error be not corrected until he has 
played to the next, the adversaries or either of them 
may claim a new deal; should either decide that the 
deal stand, the surplus card (at the end of the hand) 
is considered played to the imperfect trick, but does 
not constitute a revoke therein.f 

82. When any one, except dummy, plays two or 
more cards to the same trick and the mistake is not 

* Should the declarer play third hand before the second 
hand, the fourth hand may without penalty play before his 
partner. 

t As to the right of adversaries to consult, see Law 50c. 


230 


THE LAWS OF ROYAL AUCTION 


Cards Played in Error. 

The Revoke. 

corrected, he is answerable for any consequent re¬ 
vokes he may make. When the error is detected dur¬ 
ing the play, the tricks may be counted face down¬ 
ward, to see if any contain more than four cards; 
should this be the case, the trick which contains a 
surplus card or cards may be examined and such 
card or cards restored to the original holder.* 

THE REVOKE.f 

83. A revoke occurs when a player, other than 
dummy, holding one or more cards of the suit led, 
plays a card of a different suit. It becomes an estab¬ 
lished revoke when the trick in which it occurs is 
turned and quitted by the rightful winners (i. e., the 
hand removed from the trick after it has been turned 
face downward on the table), or when either the re¬ 
voking player or his partner, whether in turn or other¬ 
wise, leads or plays to the following trick. 

84. The penalty for each established revoke is: 

(a) When the declarer revokes, he cannot score for 
tricks and his adversaries add 100 points to 
their score in the honor column, in addition 
to any penalty which he may have incurred 
for not making good his declaration. 

* Either adversary may decide which card shall be consi¬ 
dered played to the trick which contains more than four 
cards. 

t See Law 73. 


THE LAWS OF ROYAL AUCTION 231 

The Revoke. 

( b ) When either of the adversaries revokes, the de¬ 

clarer may either add 100 points to his score 
in the honor column or take three tricks from 
his opponents and add them to his own.* 
Such tricks may assist the declarer to make 
good his declaration, but shall not entitle 
him to score any bonus in the honor column 
in case the declaration has been doubled or 
redoubled, nor to a slam or little slam not 
otherwise obtained.^ 

(c) When, during the play of a deal, more than one 

revoke is made by the same side, the penalty 
for each revoke after the first is 100 points. 

The value of their honors is the only score that 
can be made by a revoking side. 

85. A player may ask his partner if he have a card 
of the suit which he has renounced; should the ques¬ 
tion be asked before the trick be turned and quitted, 
subsequent turning and quitting does not establish a 
revoke, and the error may be corrected unless the 
question be answered in the negative, or unless the 
revoking player or his partner have led or played to 
the following trick. 

86. If a player correct his mistake in time to save 
a revoke, any player or players who have followed 
him may withdraw his or their cards and substitute 

* The dummy may advise the declarer which penalty to ex¬ 
act. 

t The value of the three tricks, doubled or redoubled, as 
the case may be, is counted in the trick score. 


232 THE LAWS OF ROYAL AUCTION 

The Revoke. 

General Rules. 

others, and the cards so withdrawn are not exposed. 
If the player in fault be one of the declarer’s adver¬ 
saries, the card played in error is exposed, and the 
declarer may call it whenever he pleases, or he may 
require the offender to play his highest or lowest card 
of the suit to the trick, but this penalty cannot be 
exacted from the declarer. 

87. At the end of the play the claimants of a re¬ 
voke may search all the tricks. If the cards have been 
mixed, the claim may be urged and proved if possible; 
but no proof is necessary and the claim is established 
if, after it is made, the accused player or his partner 
mix the cards before they have been sufficiently ex¬ 
amined by the adversaries. 

88. A revoke cannot be claimed after the cards 
have been cut for the following deal. 

89. Should both sides revoke, the only score per¬ 
mitted is for honors. In such case, if one side revoke 
more than once, the penalty of 100 points for each 
extra revoke is scored by the other side. 


GENERAL RULES. 

90. A trick turned and quitted may not be looked 
at (except under Law 82) until the end of the play. 
The penalty for the violation of this law is 25 points 
in the adverse honor score. 


233 


THE LAWS OF ROYAL AUCTION 

General Rules. 

New Cards. 

91. Any player during the play of a trick or after 
the four cards are played, and before the trick is 
turned and quitted, may demand that the cards be 
placed before their respective players. 

92. When an adversary of the declarer, before his 
partner plays, calls attention to the trick, either by 
saying it is his, or, without being requested to do so, 
by naming his card or drawing it toward him, the 
declarer may require such partner to play his highest 
or lowest card of the suit led, or to win or lose the 
trick. 

93. An adversary of the declarer may call his part¬ 
ner’s attention to the fact that he is about to play or 
lead out of turn; but if, during the play, he make any 
unauthorized reference to any incident of the play, 
the declarer may call a suit from the adversary whose 
next turn it is to lead. 

94. In all cases where a penalty has been incurred, 
the offender is bound to give reasonable time for the 
decision of his adversaries. 

NEW CARDS. 

95. Unless a pack be imperfect, no player has the 
right to call for one new pack. When fresh cards are 
demanded, two packs must be furnished. When they 
are produced during a rubber, the adversaries of the 
player demanding them have the choice of the new 


234 THE LAWS OF ROYAL AUCTION 

New Cards. Bystanders. 

Etiquette of Auction. 

cards. If it be the beginning of a new rubber, the 
dealer, whether he or one of his adversaries call for 
the new cards, has the choice. New cards cannot be 
substituted after the pack has been cut for a new 
deal. 

96. A card or cards torn or marked must be re¬ 
placed by agreement or new cards furnished. 

BYSTANDERS. 

97. While a bystander, by agreement among the 
players, may decide any question, he should not say 
anything unless, appealed to; and if he make any re¬ 
mark which calls attention to an oversight affecting 
the score, or to the exaction of a penalty, he is liable 
to be called upon by the players to pay the stakes (not 
extras) lost. 

ETIQUETTE OF AUCTION. 

In the game of Auction slight intimations convey 
much information. The code succinctly states laws 
which fix penalties for an offence. To offend against 
etiquette is far more serious than to offend against a 
law; for in the latter case the offender is subject to 
the prescribed penalties; in the former his adversaries 
are without redress. 

1. Declarations should be made in a simple man¬ 
ner, thus: “ one heart,” “ one no-trump,” “ pass,” 


THE LAWS OF ROYAL AUCTION 235 

Etiquette of Auction. 
“ double ”; they should be made orally and not by 
gesture. 

2. Aside from his legitimate declaration, a player 
should not show by word or gesture the nature of 
his hand, or hie pleasure or displeasure at a play, bid, 
or double. 

3. If a player demand that the cards be placed, 
he should do so for his own information and not to 
call his partner’s attention to any card or play. 

4. An opponent of the declarer should not lead until 
the preceding trick has been turned and quitted; nor, 
after having led a winning card, should he draw an¬ 
other from his hand before his partner has played to 
the current trick. 

5. A card should not be played with such emphasis 
as to draw attention to it, nor should a player detach 
one card from his hand and subsequently play an¬ 
other. 

6. A player should not purposely incur a penalty be¬ 
cause he is willing to pay it, nor should he make a 
second revoke to conceal a first. 

7. Conversation during the play should be avoided, 
as it may annoy players at the table or at other tables 
in the room. 

8. The dummy should not leave his seat to watch 
his partner play. He should not call attention to the 


THE LAWS OF ROYAL AUCTION 


236 

Etiquette of Auction. 

Laws of Three Handed Auction. 

score nor to any card or cards that he or the other 
players hold. 

9. If a player say, “ I have the rest/’ or any words 
indicating that the remaining tricks, or any number 
therof, are his, and one or both of the other players 
expose his or their cards, or request him to play out 
the hand, he should not allow any information so ob¬ 
tained to influence his play. 

10. If a player concede, in error, one or more tricks, 
the concession should stand. 

11. A player having been cut out of one table should 
not seek admission in another unless willing to cut for 
the privilege of entry. 

12. A player should not look at any of his cards 
until the end of the deal. 

THE LAWS OF THREE-HAND AUCTION. 

The laws of Auction govern the three-hand game 
except as follows: 

(1) Three players take part in a game and four 
constitute a complete table. Each plays for himself; 
there are no partners, except as provided in Law 7. 

(2) The player who cuts lowest selects his seat and 
the cards with which he deals first. The player who 
cuts next lowest sits on the dealer’s left. 


THE LAWS OF ROYAL AUCTION 237 

Laws of Three Handed Auction, 

(3) The cards are dealt in four packets, one for 
each of the three players and one for the dummy.* 
The dummy hand is not touched until after the filial 
declaration has been made. 

(4) The dealer declares, and the bidding continues 
as in Auction, except that each player bids exclusively 
on his own account. 

(5) The penalty for a declaration out of turn is 
that each of the other players receives 50 points in his 
honor score. A declaration out of turn does not 
afifect the right of the player whose turn it is to de¬ 
clare, unless both he and the other player, either by 
passing or declaring, accept the improper declaration. 

(6) If a player declare out of turn, and the suc¬ 
ceeding player either pass or declare, the third player 
may demand that the mistake be corrected as is pro¬ 
vided in Law 5. In such case the player who first 
declared out of turn is the only one penalized. 

(7) The player making the final declaration, i. e., 
a declaration that has been passed by both of the 
others, plays his own hand and that of the dummy 
against the two others, who then, and for that particu¬ 
lar hand, assume the relationship of partners. 

(8) It is advisable that the game be played at a 
round table so that the hand of the dummy can be 
placed in front of the declarer without obliging any 

*This hand is generally dealt opposite to the dealer. 


238 THE LAWS OF ROYAL AUCTION 

Laws of Three Handed Auction. 

player to move; but, in the event of a square table 
being used, the two players who become the adversa¬ 
ries of the declarer should sit opposite each other, the 
dummy being opposite the declarer. At the end of 
the play the original positions should be resumed. 

(9) If, after the deal has been completed and be¬ 
fore the conclusion of the declaration, any player ex¬ 
pose a card, each of his adversaries counts 50 points in 
his honor score, and the declarer, if he be not the 
offender, may call upon the player on his left to lead 
or not to lead the suit of the exposed card. If a 
card be exposed by the declarer after the final declara¬ 
tion, there is no penalty, but if exposed by an ad¬ 
versary of the declarer, it is subject to the same 
penalty as in Auction. 

(10) If a player double out of turn, each of his 
adversaries counts 100 points in his respective honor 
score, and the player whose declaration has been 
doubled may elect whether the double shall stand. 
The bidding is then resumed, but if the double shall 
be disallowed, the declaration may not be doubled by 
the other player. 

(11) The rubber continues until two games have 
been won by the same player; it may consist of two, 
three, or four games. 

(12) When the declarer fulfils his contract, he 
scores as in Auction. When he fails to do so, both 
of his adversaries score as in Auction. 


THE LAWS OF ROYAL AUCTION 


239 


Laws of Three Handed Auction. 

Method of Accounting. 

(13) Honors are scored by each player separately, 
i. e., each player who holds one honor scores the value 
of a trick; each player who holds two honors scores 
twice the value of a trick; a player who holds three 
honors scores three times the value of a trick; a player 
who holds four honors scores eight times the value 
of a trick; and a player who holds five honors scores 
ten times the value of a trick. In a no-trump decla¬ 
ration, each ace counts ten, and four held by one 
player count 100. The declarer counts separately both 
his own honors and those held by the dummy. 

(14) A player scores 125 points for winning a 
game, a further 125 points for winning a second game, 
and 250 points for winning a rubber. 

(15) At the end of the rubber, all scores of each 
player are added and his total obtained. Each one 
wins from or loses to each other the difference be¬ 
tween their respective totals. A player may win from 
both the others, lose to one and win from the other, 
or lose to both. 


METHOD OF ACCOUNTING. 

In the three-handed game, should you lose, you lose 
to both adversaries or lose to one adversary and win 
from the other. The accounting is most confusing 
unless well understood. Assuming the final totals in 
a game to be A 325, B 950 and C 575, if the figures 


240 THE LAWS OF ROYAL AUCTION 

Method of Accounting. 

Laws of Duplicate Auction. 

are placed directly under the totals on the score it 
becomes quite simple. 


A. 

B. 

C. 

325 

950 

575 

—625 

+625 

+250 

—250 

+375 

—375 

-8;s 

+ 1000 

—125 


PROCESS. This goes very quickly if one proceeds 
in order. Put down; — 

In A’s column his relation to B, then C. 

“ B’s “ “ “ to A, “ C. 

“ C’s “ “ “ to A, “ B. 

THE LAWS OF DUPLICATE AUCTION, 

Duplicate Auction is governed by the Laws of Auc¬ 
tion, except in so far as they are modified by the fol¬ 
lowing special laws: 

A. Scoring. In Duplicate Auction there are neither 
games nor rubbers. Each deal is scored just as in 
Auction, with the addition that whenever a pair makes 
30 or more for tricks as the score of one deal, it 
adds as a premium 125 points in its honor column. 

B. Irregularities in the Hands. If a player have 
either more or less than his correct number of cards, 












THE LAWS OF ROYAL AUCTION 


241 


Laws of Duplicate Auction, 
the course to be pursued is determined by the time of 
the discovery of the irregularity. 

(1) When the irregularity is discovered before or 

during the original play: There must be a 
new deal. 

(2) When the irregularity is discovered at the 

time the cards are taken up for overplay and 
before such overplay has begun: It must 
be sent back to the table from which it 
came, and the error be there rectified. 

(3) When the irregularity is not discovered until 

after the overplay has begun: In two-table 
duplicate there must be a new deal; but in a 
game in which the same deals are played at 
more than two tables, the hands must be 
rectified as is provided above and then passed 
to the next table without overplay at the table 
at which the error was discovered; in which 
case, if a player have less than thirteen cards 
and his adversary the corresponding surplus, 
each pair takes the average score for that 
deal; if, however, his partner have the corre¬ 
sponding surplus, his pair is given the lowest 
score and his opponents the highest score 
made at any table for that deal. 

C. Playing the cards. Each player, when it is his 
turn to play, must place his card, face upward, before 
him and toward the centre of the table. He must 
allow it to remain upon the table in this position until 
all have played to the trick, when he must turn it over 
and place it face downward, nearer to himself; if he or 
his partner have won the trick, the card should point 


242 


THE LAWS OF ROYAL AUCTION 


Laws of Duplicate Auction. 

toward his partner and himself; otherwise it should 
point toward the adversaries. 

The declarer may either play dummy’s cards or may 
call them by name whenever it is dummy’s turn to play 
and have dummy play them for him. 

A trick is turned and quitted when all four players 
have turned and ceased to touch their respective cards. 

The cards must be left in the order in which they 
were played until the scores of the deal have been 
recorded. 

D. The Revoke. A revoke may be claimed at any 
time before the last trick of the deal in which it occurs 
has been turned and quitted and the scores of that deal 
agreed upon and recorded, but not thereafter. 

E. Error in Score. A proven error in the trick or 
honor score may be corrected at any time before the 
final score of the contestants for the deal or deals 
played before changing opponents has been made up 
and agreed upon. 

F. A New Deal A new deal is not allowed for 
any reason, except as provided in Laws of Auction 36 
and 37. If there be an impossible declaration some 
other penalty must be selected.* A declaration (other 
than passing) out of turn must stand; t as a penalty, 
the adversaries score 50 honor points in their honor 

* See Law 50. The same ruling applies to Law 54. 

f This includes a double or redouble out of turn. See Law 
57 - 


THE LAWS OF ROYAL AUCTION 243 

Laws of Duplicate Auction, 
column and the partner of the offending player can¬ 
not thereafter participate in the bidding of that deal. 

The penalty for the offence mentioned in Law 81 
is 50 points in the adverse honor score. 

G. Team Matches. A match consists of any agreed 
number of deals each of which is played once at each 
table. 

The contesting teams must be of equal size, but each 
may consist of any agreed number of pairs (not less 
than two). One half of each team, or as near thereto 
as possible, sits north and south; the other half east 
and west. 

In case the teams are composed of an odd number of 
pairs, each team, in making up its total score, adds, as 
though won by it, the average score of all pairs seated 
in the positions opposite to its odd pair. 

In making up averages, fractions are disregarded 
and the nearest whole numbers taken, unless it be 
necessary to take the fraction into account to avoid a 
tie, in which case the match is won “ by the fraction 
of a point.” The team making the highest score wins 
the match. 

H. Pair Contests. The score of a pair is com¬ 
pared only with other pairs who have played the same 
hands. A pair obtains a plus score for the contest 
when its net total is more than the average; a minus 
score for the contest when its net total is less than the 
average. 








































































































































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